AMITY REFORMED CHURCH

History:

Amity Church was founded in 1802. Prior to this time, the church-goers in Amity (later

known as Vischer Ferry) crossed the river and worshiped in the Niskayuna Reformed

Church. The original church building faced east and was located on the site of the present

sanctuary. By 1871, the congregation outgrew the first sanctuary, and decided to build a

new and larger church. This second building faced south and seated 350 people; it was

destroyed by fire in 1886. The present sanctuary was built in 1888. Amity Church is a

member of the Reformed Church in America.

Scope: The collection consists chiefly of church histories, annual reports, and examples

of church service programs.

Size: 4 folders.

Folder 1: Histories of organization and buildings: Sesqui-Centennial, Amity Reformed

Church, 1802-1954. 11 p., mimeo or offset typescript. Five copies, one signed Howard I.

Becker on p. 11 and with a newspaper clipping laid in showing Rev. Wm. DeYoung

performing a marriage ceremony.

Folder 2: Histories of organization and buildings: Three typed copies of “Church Deed,

1802,” one with words written in, signed “Dick Swart, Clem.” Church Directory Update,

date unknown, listing birthdays and anniversaries of church members; Amity Church

Property in 1820, by Howard I. Becker, 1956, showing Lot #9 and Lot #8; and Amity

Reformed Church Self Study, 1968. 36 p., xerox copy of typescript.

Folder 3: Annual Reports and Meetings. Report for 1956. Contains lists of officer’s

names, new members, and baptisms and financial records; Report for 1968. Contains

enrollment statistics, lists of church officers, new members, baptisms, funerals, and

marriages; Congregational Meeting, November 13, 1988, Agenda.

Folder 4: Orders of Worship, with dates between 1970 to 2000. Letter to Mr. and Mrs.

Robert Sims from Fred Stevens, Financial Secretary, dated Feb. 12, 1990.

Ballston Lake Country Club Association

Archives History: This organization was organized August 13, 1936 from the T.E.R.A (Temporary Emergency Relief Administration) Relief Workers of the Town of Clifton Park. The T.E.R.A. Relief Workers group was formed in January 1935 for the purpose of “organization of the Relief workers of the town of Clifton Park and for discussion of interest of the unemployed and to formulate petitions for the correction and modification of the causes of grievances.” Fifty three workers attended the first meeting on January 10, 1935 and several grievances were listed in the minutes of the meeting. The group continued to meet throughout 1935 and 1936. In August 1936 the group was re-organized as the Ballston Lake Country Club Association. Charles Goodness was the first chairman of the group and was followed by Emil Goodness, who became chairman of the Ballston Spa organization. Scope: This collection consists of one manuscript book of minutes of the two organizations. The minutes, except for the first few in January 1935 which have more content concerning grievances of the T.E.R.A. group, are routine accounts of transactions at the meetings. The constitutions of both groups are included in the minutes. Size: 1 folder, .30 lin. ft. Donor: Donald Carlson. Contents: Folder 1: Minutes of the organizations, January 1935-September 1936

(This collection is filed in the box containing the records of the Union Sunday School Association)

James Corsaro Archivist

Stanley (Spud) and Doris Bartow

Collection History: Doris Bartow was the first postmaster of the Rexford Post Office from 1953 to 1972. Stanley (Spud) Bartow served as postmaster of Rexford from 1947-1953. Doris was the daughter of Harry and Nellie Ray, born in 1916 and was married to Spud Bartow at the Grooms Methodist Church on May 21, 1944. She died in 2007. Spud was born in Rexford, NY in 1916 and died in 2009. Both Spud and Doris Bartow were long-time members of the local Grange. Spud worked on farms and at other jobs, including for the Rexford Amusement Park. He served in the Army Air Corps during World War II and Doris worked at GE during the war. Scope: This collection is comprised chiefly of two major series, newspaper clippings, many in scrapbooks and photographs, many in scrapbooks. There are many photographs, particularly of the Rexford hamlet and vicinity, including Bartow family, its home and vehicles, photos of the canal locks, aqueduct and bridges at Rexford, Mohawk River, businesses in Rexford, including McLane’s Hotel and other topics. There are also newspaper issues of Schenectady, NY newspapers. There is very little material, other than photographs, of the Bartow family; e.g. no financial records and very little correspondence. Size: 6 boxes, 6 lin. ft. Donor: Stanley and Doris Bartow Contents: Box 1: Miscellaneous papers of the Bartow family and concerning the history of Rexford and vicinity. Folder 1: Biographical information, including a handwritten abstract of an oral history with the Bartows; also a photocopy of a marriage notice from a local newspaper May 21, 1944; color photo of Bartow, n.d., ca. 2005?. Handwritten recipes of Doris Bartow? Folder 2: Military newsletters from World War II, probably received by Spud Bartow, incl.: Crossroads, Dec. 1945-Jan. 1946, 3 issues, 1391st AAFBU and Snowball, Feb. 17, 1945 (2 cop.), issued by the 1380th AAFBU, Presque Isle, ME. Also, church program for Protestant Worship, Thanksgiving Day and Nov. 11, 1945, 1391st AAFBU, Folder 3: Programs from school plays at Nott Terrace High School, Schenectady, NY and May 1933 issue of Civic Players Magazine, Schenectady.

Folder 4: Program, clippings, and other papers, of the Rexford United Methodist Church, ca. 1932-1998, including the program for the church’s Sesquicentennial anniversary, 1839-1989; also other churches items. Folder 5: Rexford School reunion program, June 1982, and a photocopy of a photograph of the Rexford School class, 1925-1928 with identifying notes; also, graduation items for other schools. Folder 6: Valentine and other cards and World War II-era cartoons (Private Buck) by Clyde Lewis. Folder 7: Political items, incl. a statement by the Supervisor of Clifton Park denying the application for the creation of incorporated village of Rexford, 1985 a proposed budget for a proposed Village of Rexford, letter to Bartows from Rep. C.J. King re: request for financial assistance for a Rexford Water District, 1971. Folder 8: Three receipts to James S. McKain, dealer in hay, straw…, 1919. Folder 9: Advertising brochures from various companies and a menu from the Meeting House in the Hotel Van Curler, Schenectady, NY, n.d., ca. 1950 Folder 10: Poems, and other papers re: to the anniversary of Minnie Eaton and Ezra Bates, 1935 Folder 11: Rexford Chronicle, issue for Sept. 1993; also typed chronology of McLane’s Hotel demolition, Oct. 29, 1964; typed copies of articles from the Schenectady Gazette about old canal days at Rexford, new bridge at Rexford, 1922, and canal aqueduct at Craig Publications: Folder 12:

Rexford History, Catherine Molnar, 1991 General Electric Scrapbook History, 1953 Moments in Time: A Century in the Life of the Capital Region, 1894-1994, Schenectady Gazette, 1994 Folder 13: Panorama of the Hudson Proposed Rexford Water District…An Explanatory Report, Town of Clifton Park, 1970 Folder 14: Pamphlets about John McLane Hose Co.

John McLane Hose Company, Inc. of the Rexford Fire District, 1983 (with a color photograph of a painting of the Hose Co. truck and station)

Dedication of Firehouse, Rexford Fire District…Oct. 27, 2001 John McLane Hose Company, Inc., History from 1923 John McLane Hose Company: A Historical Records from 1923 to 1955

Scrapbook of Invitations for marriages and commencement exercises, ca.1874-1906. This scrapbook is a “magnetic” type with sticky glue pages. After an attempt to remove these invitations from the scrapbook, they have been left in it for removal by a conservator. Box 2: Newspaper Clippings, Loose These newspaper clippings were found loose in various envelopes and are have been put into groups by topic. The entire group needs to be considered for photocopying and some clippings may be discarded if copies already exist (for instance, the newspaper may already be available on microfilm). Prior to photocopying, the Town Historian might weed the clippings to save only those considered worth keeping for historical research purposes. As noted below, regular history columns by Larry Hart and John Scherer have already been separated and placed in the Vertical Files of the Local History Room. Larry Hart columns in Schenectady Gazette, “Tales from the Old Dorp”; columns and local history articles, A Bit of History, about Clifton Park by John Scherer been removed to be filed in the Vertical Files of the Local History Room. Folder 1: Mainly personal news items (marriage notices, obituaries, stories about World War II servicemen, graduation announcements, etc.) from Clifton Park, Rexford and vicinity, mainly ca. 1938-1945 Folder 2: Clippings related to firefighting and fire companies in Clifton Park, ca. 1962-1997 with a copy of the 1998 calendar of the Rexford Fire Department and photocopies of a 1908 letter to John McLane re: a fire engine. Folder 3: Clippings with articles about local history of Clifton Park, Rexford and Schenectady (no articles by John Scherer), ca. 1926-1999 Folder 4: General local news from Clifton Park and vicinity, mainly from the Schenectady Gazette and including stories about topics such as, development in the town, crime, politics, canal, Rexford places and events, etc., ca. 1916-1994. Photographs: Folder 5: Group of photographs of railroads and railroad scenes, including loading and unloading railroad cars, historical railroad engines, etc. This is a series of photographic prints that appears to have been published. There are no photographs of Clifton Park or the immediate vicinity. The locations of the photographs are not noted; the photos are undated and appear to be about 1940-1950. Folder 6: Rexford School, 1925-28, class group photo with identifying notes and notes about the history of the school. Also, group photo of the Zipper Club of the Rexford Methodist Church, 1934 with clipping and notes about the club.

Folder 7: Postcard views of various places, incl.: canal locks at Rexford, Dolles Park Hotel, Schenectady, NY, and 3 other cards, total, 5 postcards. Also, miscellaneous loose photos. Folder 8: Negative photographs of Lock 22, Rexford, NY and negatives of Rexford Store , McLane Hotel, trolley at aqueduct, Rexford Park and Rexford School Folder 9: Miscellaneous loose photographs, incl.: several photos of a clambake that occurred at the McLane’s farm, Aug. 1953; a photo of Tracey’s Ice Cream Parlor, photo of an unknown woman, 1944; photo of an unidentified house and a postcard of logging trucks in the Northwest, 1975. Box 3: Photograph Albums Photographs in some of these albums have labels and these photos have not been removed and sleeved. The pages in these albums should be photocopied or scanned prior to removal and sleeving of the photos in order to preserve the information in the labels. #1: Photograph Album, white marbled binding, photos dated ca. 1920-1960. Most of the photos that are inserted in this album have labels. The photos here include pictures of the Bartows as children, McLane’s Hotel., Bartow’s gas station, National Biscuit Company horse and wagon and trucks, photo Christmas cards from family members. The photos have not been removed from the album. #2: Photograph Album, album with picture of roses on cover. This album is a “magnetic” sticky glue album. There are a few newspaper clippings, many photographs and several postcards of Rexford and immediate vicinity, including Erie Canal, Rexford Bridge and Dam, including the construction, Aqueduct, Bartow home and other subjects. The photos date from about 1900 to 1965, with most of the photos dating from before 1940; an important photographic documentation of the Rexford area and Erie Canal. The photos have not been removed from the album. Box 4: Photograph Albums #3: Photograph Album, album with red binding, The album has many photos labeled and the photos have not been removed for sleeving. The photos are of roads, automobiles and trucks, Bartow childhood photos, family photos and reunions, horse and coach, canal and Mohawk River scenes, L.G. Rexford store, aqueduct. Photos include both summer and winter months. The photos date from about 1915-1971. #4: Photograph Album, album with pictures of birch trees. The photos have not been removed for sleeving. Photos and postcards of trolleys, aqueduct, Luna Park, canal, dredging of the Mohawk River, family photos, The Hermitage store/gas station. The photos date from about 1920-1972. #5: Photograph Album, green binder with photographs on “magnetic” sticky glue paper. The album has many photos labeled and the photos have not been removed for sleeving. Photos of

Rexford locks, canal, and aqueduct, family photos, trolley, L.G. Rexford Store, automobiles and trucks, bar at Craig Hotel, explosion of American Fireworks factory, building of Rexford bridge. Box 5: Newspaper Clippings Newspaper clippings in this collection were pasted in scrapbooks with many loose clippings that were not pasted into books. The scrapbooks have been kept as they were received, while the loose clippings have been put into groups by topic. There are some loose clippings in the scrapbooks as well and these have been kept in place if they appear to be related to the pasted items; otherwise they have been removed to the loose clippings file. The clippings should be photocopied by a volunteer, the copies filed by topic and the original clippings may be kept or disposed of. Scrapbooks of Clippings: #1: “Scrapbook” in red binding: Mainly obituaries, marriages, news from General Electric, church news, school news, some national news events. #2: “Scrapbook” in blue binding: Mainly obituraries, marriages, 50th anniversaries, news of fires, accidents, winter storms, Clifton Park politics, ca. 1953-1991 #3: “Schenectady Gazette Scrap Book.” This scrapbook, ca, 1900-1935, has many loose clippings as well as pastedowns and includes mainly clippings of wedding announcements, church news, obituaries, school news, etc.; mainly taken from the Schenectady Gazette. This scrapbook may have been compiled by one of the parents of Spud or Doris Bartow. #4: “The Spiral” scrapbook: This scrapbook has a few obituaries, clippings about a woman named Gipsy Smith and many clippings from a “Helpful Hints” household hints column, ca. 1932-1935. Newspapers In addition to saving newspaper clippings of local events, the Bartows saved whole issues of particular newspaper issues, including anniversary issues and other important events. The following is a list of the issues of newspapers saved: Schenectady News, General Electric, 11/14/41 and 5/4/56 issues Schenectady Union-Star, 10/3/47, 10/14/53 (GE anniversary edition), 4/22/55 (centennial issue of the Union-Star), 1967-68 pages from Union-Star compiled to make a Clifton Park Scrap Book. Schenectady Gazette, 6/26/1916 (border war with Mexico), 9/18/1924 (Erie Canal to Erie Blvd.), 10/1.1994 (centennial issues of the Gazette).

Issues of the following smaller papers: Pathfinder, Washington, 4/23/1935; The Gilead Companion (newsletter of the Center Brunswick Gilead Lutheran Church), 10/1929; American Agriculturist, 12/12/1931; Cloverleaf American Review, Winona, MN, Feb. and May 1936 . Artifacts: Native American arrowheads, from Ray farm on Ray Road, Grooms Corners Bottle that held 100 Tablets of Extract of Cascara Sagrada, a tonic, from Quinn’s, Schenectady, NY Box 6: Scrapbooks (2) Scrapbook #1: A scrapbook in a blue binding, with many newspaper clippings with news, chiefly of Rexford, Alplaus and the surrounding vicinity, including obituaries, fires, spring floods, general news of businesses and government in Clifton Park and other news items. Scrapbook #: A scrapbook in a red binding, which includes only original photographs. The photographs are labeled in most cases. The photographs include images of the Bartow family, including childhood photos of Spud Bartow, family group pictures, several photos of the National Biscuit horse wagon and truck driven by Spud Bartow’s father, family photos in the Adirondacks, photos of Ollie Bartow’s gas station, McLane’s Hotel, family home and other subjects. The family photos date mainly from the Twenties and Thirties and the photos of the gas stations and cars date mainly from the Fifties. The photos are on very brittle paper and should be removed after photocopying or scanning in order to save the label information prior to removal to photograph sleeves. James Corsaro Archivist

Howard Becker

Collection

History:

Howard I. Becker was born in Watervliet, NY in 1895, married Beatrice M. Reid, and lived in

Vischer Ferry for over 40 years. He died March 1, 1977. He was engineer with General Electric

for many years and was awarded over 30 patents during his years with G.E. before retiring in

1957. He was the Town Historian for Clifton Park for many years and was also the historian for

Long Lake, NY. He compiled and wrote several books about various aspects of the history of

Clifton Park and of the upper Mohawk Valley region. He had a particular interest in the

geography and mapping of the Mohawk River around Niskayuna, Vischer Ferry and the

surrounding area. He was a member of the Amity Reformed Church in Vischer Ferry, and a

member of several other fraternal and historical societies. He was married for many years to

Beatrice M. Reid, who pre-deceased him. His collection of historical research materials was

donated to the Clifton Park-Halfmoon Public Library. The Becker Postcard Collection is stored

separately from this collection and is being digitized for the Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library

website.

Scope:

This is a collection of material collected by and created by Howard I. Becker, the former Town

Historian of Clifton Park. He was town historian for many years and was named Historian-

Emeritus in 1973.The collection includes original and copies of manuscripts, maps and

photographs of the Town of Clifton Park and surrounding areas, Becker’s research files of notes

for his books, local government records of the town, including assessor’s records and tavern

licenses, and justice of the peace records. There are also some special collections including a file

on the McIntosh family (creators of the McIntosh apple) and the records of the Independent

Order of the Good Templars (Vischer Ferry lodge). There are files of Becker as Town Historian.

There are some autograph books and many newspaper clippings, and a small group of complete

issues of newspapers. Additional topics include the history of lands and maps in the town, canal

history and Mohawk River history in the region, role of the town historian in New York State,

historical homes and churches in Clifton Park. The inclusive dates of the collection are 1664-

1972 and the bulk of the material collected dates from approximately 1940-1972.

Please note: A small amount of material donated by Howard Becker is located in other

collections within the Clifton Park Collection, such as the Churches Collection.

Size: 11 boxes, 12 lin.ft.

Donor: Howard Becker.

Contents:

Box 1: Town Government Records

This box contains bound official records of various government offices of the Town of Clifton

Park, as follows:

Assessor’s List for Clifton Park, 1848, includes names of residents, acreage, real and

personal valuation, and taxes, names of lessors of lands, names of non-resident with lands and

taxes, account of the Select School, 1854-56.

Assessor’s List of Clifton Park, 1853, includes names of residents, acreage, real and

personal valuation, and taxes, names of lessors of lands, names of non-resident with lands and

taxes

Assessor’s List of Clifton Park, 1866, includes names of residents, acreage, real and

personal valuation, and taxes and names of lessors of lands.

Assessor’s List of Clifton Park, 1875, names of residents, acreage, real and personal

valuation, and taxes, names of lessors of lands, and incorporated companies.

Assessor’s List of Clifton Park 1878, names of residents, acreage, real and personal

valuation, and taxes.

Ledger Record Book of the Overseers of the Poor of the Town of Clifton Park, 1850-

1877, includes names, age, nativity and “cause of pauperism,’ as well as financial accounts of

overseers.

Same as above, 1877-1890, 1920, includes names, types of service received, and cost as

well as financial accounts of the overseers.

Record book of Town Clerk of surveys of railroad and telegraph company lines running

through school districts in the Town of Clifton Park, 1885-1899.

Day Book by Matthias Shear, John Fryer, Mich. Freligh, executors, Oct. 8, 1802-1820.

This includes a detailed account of the expenses of the executors with the family, including

widow Mary Volwider, and others; includes mention of the sale of a “negro boy” to Corn.

Funda, 1806. Also, 3 loose clipping of obituaries. This is probably not a government record, but

may have been filed by the executors with the Surrogate’s Office of Saratoga County.

Box 2: Town Government Records

Official records of Town of Clifton Park, continued:

Folders 1-6, Tavern license papers for taverns in the Town of Clifton Park, 1859-18 includes:

F. 1: Petition of residents to allow John G. Swett to have a grocer’s license, 1850

F. 2: Petition of residents of 1st Election Dist. to allow Samuel Groom to have a tavern

license at Groom’s Corners, 1859

F. 3: Petitions of residents of the 2nd

E.D., to grant a tavern license to Hamilton T.

Shepard for “Inn, tavern or hotel” in the Village of Jonesville, 1863 and a petition of residents of

the 2nd

. E.D. for tavern license for Anson B. Smith in the Village of Jonesville, 1859

F. 4: Applications and petitions for tavern licenses for Clifton Park Village Hotel, for:

Cornelius Fonda (1857), Isaac Rogers (1859) (1860), (1866), and (1869).

F. 5: Applications and petitions for tavern licenses for taverns in Amity and Vischer

Ferry for: Amity: John Anderson (1859), Garret Cragier (1860), Philip Dutcher, Jr. (1863),

Abram Travis (1864) and (1866); Vischer Ferry: Garrit Cragier (1863), (1864) and (1869).

F. 6: Applications and tavern licenses for Rexford Flats for: Nelson Cole (1855) (1855),

C.W. Rexford (1859), Hiram Parker? (1863), Eleazer A. Rexford (1867), Cornelius R. Sheffer

and Jacob A. West (1867), Hiram Parker (1869).

Lawsuits in the Town of Clifton Park: This is a small group of lawsuits handled in town courts in

Clifton Park. The following is a list of these suits.

Folder 7: James A. Wright v. Abraham and Robert Best for damages re: purchase of apples,

1859-1863

Folder 8: Robert Best v. Abraham Best for threat by A. Best against R. Best, 1866.

Folder 9: John Sherman v. Sylvanus Arnold, for return of a Springfield rifle. Arnold was a hotel

keeper in Ballston Spa, 1866.

Folder 10: Daniel Picket, sawmill operator, Grooms and Barney Road v. Joseph Paschal for non-

payment of sawed logs, 1866.

Land Records:

Folder 11: Deed, Nicholas J. Clute, Supervisor of the Town of Clifton Park and Sebastian

Cragier, for school house No. 16 in Vischer Ferry, 1869.

Folder12: Maps and Field Books for Messrs. Nanning and Eldert Vischer of Nisqueunia, Seth

Baldwin, surveyor, Ballston, 1794. This includes a map and survey notes for lots in the

Kayderosseras Patent, possibly of lands in Clifton Park, NY.

Folder 13: School records of School No. 16, Vischer Ferry, Clifton Park, 1856-1862, including:

deed betw. Sebastian Cragier and Trustees of School No. 16, 1856, tax lists for the school, 1861,

1862, vote on issues re: to movement and building of schoolhouse with names of voters, n.d.,

and account of trustee for expenses for teachers, firewood, etc., 1861.

Bound government records:

Docket book of proceedings of Adam Mott, Justice of the Peace, Sand Lake, Rensselaer County,

NY, 1851 and same of Adam Mott, Justice of the Peace, Town of Clifton Park, 1861-1869; also

clippings from newspapers of NYS laws, 1869 in a separate folder.

Record book of proceedings of E. B. Chamberlain, Justice of the Peace, probably Glenville,

Schenectady County, NY, Jan. 1847-Sept., 1857 for cases involving assault and battery,

property damages, debt, fraud and other issues; alphabetical index of litigants names; includes

reason for case, disposition of the case, fines, and court costs. Back cover has printed lists of

town officers for 1850-1854 pasted on.

Ledgers, Account Books, Diary and Scrapbook

Ledger of Benjamin Chamberlin, 3d

This bound ledger of accounts from 1805 to 1840 is from Benjamin Chamberlin 3d, probably

from the Town Of Glenville, Schenectady County.

Additional Oversize Ledgers are Filed in flat boxes 12 and 13.

Box 3: Records of the Independent Order of Good Templars (I.O.G.T)

This is a small group of material, chiefly publications of the Grand Lodge of New York,

I.O.G.T., with a few manuscript items. The I.O.G.T’s major purpose was to act as a temperance

organization and no member could make, partake or sell alcoholic beverages.

Folder 1: Journal of Proceedings of the Grand Lodge of New York, I.O.G.T., 26th

Annual

Session, Syracuse, 1890.

Folder 2: Constitution and By-Laws for Subordinate Lodges, I.O.G.T., State of New York,

Rochester, NY, 1888. Also, sample constitution for county lodge and the Constitution of the

Grand Lodge of New York. Also with this is a printed card with Subordinate Odes for I.O.G.T.

lodges, including opening odes, initiation odes, closing odes, etc.

Folder 3: Ritual for Subordinate Lodges of the Independent Order of Good Templars, …Revised

at…Saratoga Session, May 1887, Evanston, IL, 1887. Three copies of this booklet and one copy

has “Amity Lodge, No. 426” noted on flyleaf.

Folder 4: List of proposed members for Vischer Ferry, includes names, ages, when proposed as

members and profession, 1889-1890; includes women as well as men. Also, a booklet entitled,

100 Propositions for Membership, I.O. of G.T. with receipts torn out for persons proposed for

membership; names matched those found on the list in this folder.

Folder 5: Group of receipts from the Treasurer of the Amity Lodge, mostly made to J.W. Van

Vranken for rent of lodge rooms and to others for other services, 1889-1891. Also, letter and

insurance policy for lodge at Jonesville, 1922.

Treasurer’s Book, Independent Order of the Good Templars, 1889-1891.

Box 3, continued:

Autograph Books, Diary and Funeral Record:

Envelope 1-5 Autograph Books:

Envelope 1: Auto. Book of Mrs. E.M. Becker of West Troy, NY, 1881-1889

Envelope 2: Auto. Book of Florence ?, 1887-1889

Envelope 3: Auto. Book of Hattie Simmons, Clifton Park, 1885-1887

Envelope 4: Auto. Book of Frank T. Taylor, 1884-1889

Envelope 5: Auto. Book of Carrie ?., 1898-1899, 1942

Envelope 6: National Pocket Funeral Record, 1934-1939, of unknown person, probably a

funeral director. This booklet includes name, date of death, cause of death, and many other

details related to the death and burial of the person. All the burials were in cemeteries in Clifton

Park Center, Halfmoon, Crescent or Vischer Ferry.

Envelope 7: Diary of Helen Fort, 1869, includes entries noting the weather each day and what

activities took up her day, including sewing, going to church, baking, cooking, cleaning house,

etc. There were at least two Helen Forts in the town, both buried in Amity Dutch Reformed

Church Cemetery: Helen died Sept. 17, 1918 and Helen M., 1846-1912.

Box 4: McIntosh Genealogy and other Material

Folders 1-9: McIntosh Genealogy and the history of the McIntosh apple. This is a file of

correspondence, genealogy family group sheets and other data, clippings and articles about the

apple.

Folder 1: McIntosh genealogy, file of original family group sheets of the McIntosh family and a

family tree.

Folder 2: McIntosh genealogy, file of copies of family group sheets in Folder 1.

Folder 3: Family tree and notes by Becker about the genealogy of John McIntosh of Vischer

Ferry, 1798-1871.

Folder 4: Correspondence of Becker, 1957-1989, related to the McIntosh family genealogy.

Also, 2 copies of records of the Keeler family.

Folder 5: Photograph of Dr. P.A. McIntosh of Spencerville, Ont., Canada (2 cop.) and

photograph of the graves of Alexander McIntosh, 1733-1802 and Janet, his spouse, 1736-1813,

buried at Groom’s Cemetery.

Folder 6: Articles, mainly newspaper clipped articles, about the history of the McIntosh apple,

ca. 1953-1964.

Folder 7: Typed essay: Mister McIntosh’s Marvelous Apple, by James Bannerman, n.d.

Folder 8: Obituaries of various people related to the McIntosh clan, 1910-1974.

Folder 9: Photographs (3) as follows:

Original McIntosh apple tree at Dundellia, Ont., with E. McIntosh and his cousin, Cora

Ross.

Stone historical marker for the McIntosh apple tree, 1811-1906

Same marker, snapshot photo

Box 4, cont.:

New York State and the Civil War. This is a group of 18 booklets issued by the New York Civil

War Centennial Commission, 1961-1963. Each booklet contain several brief articles about some

aspect of the Civil War and New York State’s part in that conflict. In 3 envelopes.

Box 5: Howard I. Becker, Town Historian Files

This is a file of annual reports of Becker as official Town of Clifton Park Historian and

publications, correspondence, minutes of meetings,

Folder 1: Two annual reports of Becker as Town Historian, 1944 and 1946 (3 copies)

Folder 2: Minutes of a meeting, August 4, 1944 re: formation of an association of county

historians, Constitution and By-Laws of the New York State Association of County Historians,

Oct. 5, 1944 and program of the NYS Historical Association, Oct. 1944.

Folder 3-3a: Correspondence and other papers sent to local historians from NYS State

Historian’s Office, 1929, 1943-1972, including lists of historians by place, notices about

important laws or events relating to history, etc. Also, a few items related to the Mohawk Valley

Historic Association and the Upper Hudson Historical Federation. Documents related to

formation of a group of researchers to write a history of Schenectady, n.d., 1940?.

Folder 4: Publications by or related to local history, 1939-1962; 3 issues of the Bulletin of the

NY State Historical Association, 1944

Folder 5: Essay, typed, by Becker, 1957 entitled, Local History Research, and with particular

emphasis and examples from Saratoga County.

Folder 6: Correspondence, legal filings, newspaper clippings, printed legislative acts, maps and

other material related to Becker and others fight to stop the creation of the Colonie Reservoir at

Stoney Creek and clippings related to the sale of Visscherdaal house on land to be flooded for

the reservoir, 1950-1953.

Folder 7: First Annual report of the Town Historian of Niskayuna (Lloyd Brinkman), 1952,

about Old Niskayuna, including photographs; also 2nd

annual report, 1953 about early land

owners of Niskayuna, with a 2nd

copy of this; also, a few pieces of correspondence of Becker,

1948-1972.

Folder 8: Obituary clippings for Howard I. Becker, March 1978, from local newspapers.

Boxes 6-7: Research Files of Howard I. Becker

These files consist of correspondence, typed drafts and final copies of articles and essays about

various aspects of local history of Clifton Park and the surrounding region,

Box 6: Research Files

Folder 1: Indian names, including a list of local Indian names of children baptized in the Albany

Reformed Church, 1683-1693 and a letter of Arthur C. Parker, 1950, related to name,

Shenendehowa.

Folder 2: Elfun Hall of History: An Interview with Howard I. Becker, (General Electric, 1912-

1956), by A.C. Stevens, 1977 about his work in the Electro-Mechanical Equipment Unit at G.E.

and with Dr. Alexanderson; also, a copy of an article about Becker’s work and retirement at G.E.

with a list of his patents.

Folder 3: Correspondence of Becker with Col. S.E. Hammersley, Harvey Chalmers, Hugh

Graham and others as well as copies of articles and maps related to the Henry Knox and the

movement of cannon from Fort Ticonderoga during the Revolutionary War including the

movement of the cannon across the Mohawk River.

Folder 4: Essay “Early History of Saratoga County,” by Becker, 5 pp., original and photocopy;

essay is mainly about roads and patents in the county.

Folder 5: Correspondence of Henry V.D. Speigel in California to his brother John W.V.D.

Speigel and others in Bennington, VT, 1850-1852, 22 pp., two typed copies. Location of

originals unknown.

Folder 6: Diary found with belongings of R.P. Walton (diary by him?), written Aug. 1-4, in

either 1903, 1908, 1914, or 1925. Original pencil-written diary in 30 (15 double-sided) pages and

2 typed transcriptions by Becker.

Folder 7:Transcriptions of gravestones from Halfmoon cemeteries, including Gorseline,

Williams, Fitzgerald, Coons Crossing and Millious cemeteries; some duplicates, by H.C. Ritchie.

Folder 8: Biographical essay about Rev. Thomas Romeyn, minister of the Dutch Reformed

Church of Amity, 1806-1827 with photographic portrait of Romeyn, by Becker, 1943; essay also

includes historical information about the Cent Society of the Amity Church and a catalog of the

books in the church library, 18 pp. Also, a typed copies of obituaries about Romeyn and a second

copy of pp. 8-18 of the essay. Also, program of order of exercises at Dedication of the Reformed

Church at Vischer’s Ferry, 1889.

Folder 9: “Brief Narrative History of the Founding and Erection of the Town of Clifton Park,”

by Becker, original and photocopy, n.d. (ca. 1940? “ A WPA Project”. This is a really a

compilation of data about location of government records, and about Jonesville Academy, mill

sites, patent documents, and a copy of names and other data from H.Child’s directory of Saratoga

County about Clifton Park.

Folder 10: Poems from Vischer Ferry and elsewhere. Becker collected these poems and

transcribed them, most are by his wife, Evelyn M. Becker, his mother, Etta M. VanDenburgh

Becker and his grandmother, M. J. VanDenburgh, also poems by Evelyn Becker Bishop,

including some in a notebook which also was used as a sketchbook. Also, Dedication Poem

written for the dedication service of Reformed Church of Amity by Abram Van Vranken,

2/12/1889 and Niskayuna Shakers Advice to Their Children on Table Manners (multiple copies).

Some poems have several copies.

Folder 10A: Poems from or about Vischer Ferry, found (by Becker) in the Sebastian Cragier

Papers. Cragier lived in Vischer Ferry, was a member of the Amity Reformed Church and died at

age 77 in 1899. Most of the the poems in this folder are all handwritten, are anonymous and

appear to date from the mid-19th

c. with a few by Maggie Reed Scrafford dated about 1902.

Folder 11: Early School Reports of Town of Long Lake, 1842-1864, transcript by Mrs. Jessie H.

Stone, Long Lake Town Historian and retyped by Becker, 1957; includes names of teachers and

pupils in the school.

Folder 12: Essays (3) by H.I. Becker, as follows:

Schenectady in 1798: Turnpikes, Ferrys and Toll Bridges, 9 pp., 1948, 2 cop.

Famous Greenfield Wolf Hunt and other Interesting History of Pioneer Struggles (by

Mrs. Sarepta Dake Smith). 9 pp., original and photocopy

The Tent Caterpillar, 2 pp., 1957, original (2) and photocopy

Folder 13: Material about the Dutch Reformed Church of Amity, including:

The Amity Church Buildings, essay by Becker, Nov. 1956, 5 pp.

Draft of the Vischer Ferry Cemetery Association by-laws

Programs of services for Sesquicentennial, 1952 and 175th

Anniversary, 1977, and 140th

anniversary

Notes about church deeds

Clipping about 150th

anniversary, 1952

Dedication poem for Amity Reformed Church, 1889 (see also folder 10)

Sheet with 3 views of different Amity Church buildings, 1802, 1871, 1888

Folder 14: Material about Rev. Abijah Peck and the Peck and Smith family, including obituary

of Peck, family trees of the Peck-Smith family and a letter to J. Scherer from Clarence F. Smith,

1979 re: Abijah Peck.

Folder 15: Mount Pleasant Glass Works, 1844-1870, by L.E. Thiess, Schenectady, NY, 1936, 3

pp., 2 cop.

Folder 16: Remembered Memorials, The Painted Rocks at Amsterdam, typed copy from the

Canajoharie Courier, 1889, by Rufus A. Grider; 2 articles.

Box 7: Research Files of H.I. Becker

Folders 1-8: Vischer Ferry Bridge. This is a file of correspondence, chiefly of George F. Smith

of Schenectady, NY, newspaper clippings, printed legislative acts, petition, memoranda, maps

and other papers related to the effort to have a new bridge built at Vischer Ferry. Earlier bridges

built in 1900 and 1901 were destroyed by the flooding Mohawk River and this was an effort that

continued, unsuccessfully, from 1909-1934.

Folder 1: Correspondence, chiefly of George F. Smith, related to legislation and promotion of

project to build Vischer Ferry Bridge, 1909-1934.

Folder 2: Petitions of residents of Clifton Park, Schenectady, Troy and nearby communities to

the Legislature and Governor Charles S. Whitman to pass a law to construct a Vischer Ferry

Bridge, 1916.

Folder 3: Memoranda and statements supporting the building of the Vischer Ferry Bridge, 1917,

1927, including a memorandum with a Map showing the Proposed Location of Bridge at Vischer

Ferry. Also, resolutions from resolutions supporting the bridge construction from the Boards of

Supervisors of Saratoga and Schenectady counties and from the State Canal Board, 1916, 1917,

1927. Also, notes on Vischers Ferry Bridge built in 1900 by H.Becker, 1 p..

Folder 4: Legislative history of the Vischer’s Ferry Bridge, 1910-1926, original and 5 copies,

1927. Also, a legislative history of the bridge, 1907-1916.

Folder 5: Bills before the NYS Legislature re: to construction of a bridge at Vischer Ferry, for

construction of a bridge at Crescent and for highways in Saratoga County, 1917-1939.

Folder 6: Maps, as follows:

Map showing the Proposed Location of Bridge at Vischer Ferry

USGS Geologic maps, Cohoes Sheet and Schenectady sheets, pasted together, annotated

with road names, 1909-1912; Map showing Proposed Location of Bridge at Vischer Ferry, 7

cop.; scrap of map showing area around Mohawk River and Vischer Ferry.

Folder 7: Two advertising promotional pamphlets about Schenectady, 1914 and 1928 and

printed minutes of the Board of Supervisors of Saratoga County, Feb. 1928.

Folder 8: Newspaper clippings about the Vischer Ferry bridge campaign and related topics,

1916-1929.

Folder 9: A manuscript of a story by an unknown author, 66 pp., which was “found in the

Chamberlin Papers, Scotia/Schenectady” by H.I. Becker, 1950; may be an autobiographical

account of the author.

Folder 10: Complaint and testimony of witnesses in case of assault and attempted rape of Delia

Maria Harrison by John Jones and others, Oct. 1862, Clifton Park, NY. This record was possibly

taken from the Justice of the Peace records.

Folder 11: Derick Volwider estate papers as follows:

Will of Volwider, Sept. 16, 1802 with approval by Surrogate of Saratoga County, Oct.

1802

Order of the Probate Court for sale of part of the Volwider estate, Sept. 1804

Memorandum of goods sold, no date, including the sale of “1 Negro sold, 25 pounds.

Inventory of the Goods, Chattels and Credits of Derick Volwider, Oct. 1802; detailed

Inventory of the personal goods, etc. of Volwider, incl. animals, furniture, tools, psalm

book, “1 Negro boy slave,” and other items.

Folder 12: Documents found in the papers of Dr. Michael Freligh of Mohawk View by H.I.

Becker as follows:

An address to “Brother Farmers,” by an unknown author written in what supposes to be a

Dutch or German dialect, n.d., ca. 1820-1830? 2pp.

Two documents re: to the Shakers, incl.: a statement arguing against the exemption from

taxes by the Shakers, n.d., ca. 1810-1820?, 4 pp., missing part of one page and a Representation

re: to Waterford Canal and Shaker exemption from taxation, n.d., 1820? (note by Becker that the

document may be in Dr. Freligh’s hand), 4 pp.,(first part of this document seems to be missing).

A statement of the case of Geo. Freligh re: to the removal of a sloop during the war

(Revolutionary War) and his demand for recovery of the value of the sloop, which was burnt by

the British, n.d..

A letter of dismissal from the Reformed Dutch Church of East Greenbush for John

Cotton and his wife to join the Amity Reformed Dutch Church, 1852.

Memorandum of lots drawn by Nanning Vescher, Oct. 23, 1793

Sale agreement for sale of land of Alida Fort to Abram Pearse, at Forts Ferry, Feb. 1857.

Receipt for payment of a mortgage, 1820

Lease for house, garden , orchard, stable to Abraham Lansing from Christopher Miller, at

Niskayuna, 1798

Mortgage of Adam Van Vranken from Andrew Van Vranken, for land in Clifton Park,

1847.

Home insurance policy of Eldert Tymeson, Jr. of Niskayuna, NY 1867.

Letter to Eldert Tymeson from J.P. Ball, Albany, NY re: delivery of hinges, 1868.

Group of photocopies of papers related to the Freligh family, including school records for

school districts in Waterford, a genealogical record of the Freligh family, and copies of some of

the Shaker documents noted above.

Folder 13: Deed for Presbyterian Church meeting house at Coopers Corners, from William Clow

to the trustees of the church, 1824.

Folder 14: Photographs of a page from the visitors book at General Electric, Schenectady, 1938

showing the signature of Richard M. Nixon, Lt., U.S. Navy with a copy of a letter sent by Becker

to Pres. Nixon, 1970.

Folder 15: Group of photostats, some badly faded, of documents re: to the Dutch Reformed

Church at Niskayuna, an academy at Bennington, VT and other matters.

Folder 16: Miscellaneous essays and research notes of H.I. Becker about the history of Clifton

Park, including papers about: Christensen’s Land at Vischer Ferry; paper given at a NYS

Historical Association meeting about his research about boundary lines in Saratoga County;

Early History of Saratoga County (2 cop.); cemetery record of Millious or Clifton Park Dutch

Reformed Church Cemetery; What Do You Know About the Lower Mohawk Valley by Becker

and Do You Know the History of the Mohawk Valley by the Montgomery County Dept. of

History and Archives, 1952.

Folder 17: Typed copies of various documents by H.I. Becker, including: Pratt Camp on Fourth

Lake, 1870; abstracts of deeds re: Groom’s Church; Indian deed to Cornelis Viele, ca. 1700;

applications for Appel Patent, 1709 and Nestigione Patent, 1708; Subscribers to History of the

Adventures and Sufferings of Moses Smith, 1814; Kayadarosis Patent, 1708; deed to Nicholas

Fort, 1734; School districts in the Town of Clifton Park in 1856 and 1945.

Box 8-9: Photographs

Box 8: Photographs

(Spellings of names of people and places is given as found on the photographs)

Photographs on mounts:

This a small group of photographs separately filed; none are dated, but most seem to be late 19th

and early 20th

century photos. The photographs include the following:

Photograph of Wm. H. Van Vranken and James and Elsey McKain home, Riverview

Road, east of Vischer Ferry

Photograph of Wm. H. Van Vranken and James and Elsey McKain home, near Vischer

Ferry, original construction

Threshing grain, Adrian Fellows farm?, Vischer Ferry, 2 copies, 1 enlarged

Cutting and loading ice on Mohawk River at Niskayuna, 3 photos

Photos, 2, of Mill Pond at Vischer Ferry

Photos, 2, of the Pearse family barn, after flooding of Mohawk River (ice floes near barn)

Pearse family house, east of Forts Ferry, after Mohawk River flooding, (ice floes on

lawn)

Photograph Album:

This is a photo album of late 19th

century photographs of people from Clifton Park, chiefly the

area around Vischer Ferry. The following is an index of the photographs in the album.

1. Mrs. Cragier

2. Unknown young man

3. Unknown Civil WarUnion soldier

4. Grandis Deyoe

5. Cornelia B. Fonda

6. Charles Swilcks?

7a. Alida Bryan

8. Garit Cragier

9. Mrs. Cragier

10. Mrs. Cragier

11. Jane E. Nessle

12. Sally Vandeusen

13. Bingham Vandeusen

14. Ann Nessle

15. Ella and John E. Forte

16. B. Race

17. E. Race

18. Gertrude Spoonogle and children, George and Maggie

19. Mathia? Spoonogle

20. Unknown young woman

21. Lena V. Keeler

22. Mrs. John Forte (Mary Roing?)

23. Colored picture of Jacob’s story from Bible

24. Unknown young man

25. John H. Visscher

26. Willie Shepherd (a baby)

27. Jennie Palmer

28. Anna L. Cragier

29. Mrs. J.W. Miller

30. J.W. Miller

31. Garry Visscher

32. Garret Visscher’s children (2 girls)

33. Gen. Tom Thumb, his wife and child

Scrapbook with Photographs:

This is a scrapbook that is bound with wood and is entitled My Scrapbook. There are

photographs of the Vischer Ferry Bridge (ca. 1900), street scene in Vischer Ferry, Dunsbach

Ferry Bridge, grist mill at Vischer Ferry, Eldert Vischer house, houses at Niskayuna, houses at

Forts Ferry, views of Erie and Champlain Canal, Crescent Aqueduct, and Cohoes Falls, etc.,

1907-1913.

Autograph Book of Mrs. Catherine Slade Gates, wife of Nathan P. Gates, born in Halfmoon

1844, married to Nathan P. Gates 1865 and died 1916. This autograph book includes miniature

photographs of Catherine Gates and members of several families of Halfmoon, Waterford,

Clifton Park and other places. Families such as Weaver, Slade, Vischer, Wood, Ide, Bassette, and

others . Photographs are undated, but were taken approximately 1870-1890. Includes an

obituary of Catherine Gates from the Bellows Falls News. There is also a group of photographs

of each page of photos found in this autograph book.

Published photo album: Vivid Panorama of the Flood, 1913. This is a booklet of photographs

of places from Fort Edward to Amsterdam showing flooded streets in cities along the Hudson

and Mohawk rivers flooded in March 1913.

Box 9: Photographs

This is a large group of single photographs of a variety of subjects, some older photographs and

some photographs by H.I. Becker. The photographs are filed by topic.

Folder 1: Aerial photographs of the Mohawk River and the Barge Canal from Waterford to

Amsterdam, NY, n.d., ca. 1940, 43 photos.

Folder 2: Photograph of painting of the Amity Reformed Church, n.d., 11 copies of the photo.

Folder 3: Photographs of homes in Town of Clifton Park, including photos of:

Martin Cregier house, Hegerman house, Rosenkrance house, Doug Smith house, Cotton

house, Henry Tourtellot house, old Vischer home, Fort house, Nanning Vischer house (Becker

house), Dunsbach Ferry house, old Taylor barn, Dr. Freligh home, Jerome Van Vranken house

and others. Also, photo of Schuyler house in Schuylerville and photo of Muller home near

Castleton, NY.

Folder 4: Photographs of churches and other buildings, incl. photos of Amity Reformed Church,

Noxon Bank Building, Vischer Ferry Hotel (photo of painting), St. George Episcopal Church,

unidentified building (probably a fire house)

Folder 5: Photographs of people, incl. photos of Van Vranken family, a man from Long Lake,

B.M. Becker and 2 other women, man in front building with sign “Geo. Crum,” family group on

porch, man and woman in a living room and two other interior photos of same home.

Folder 6: Photographs of Vischer Ferry/ Amity Reformed Church cemetery.

Folder 7: Photographs of places in Schenectady, incl, photos of homes, bank, hotels, railroad

station, downtown street scenes, churches, and bridges.

Folder 8: Places and street scenes in the Town of Clifton Park, (mainly 4”x5”), incl.: farm pond

on Becker farm, construction photos of shopping plaza at Rt. 146, Grooms Methodist Church (as

a furniture store), street scene in Vischer Ferry, Vischer Ferry hotel.

Folder 9: Photos, 4”x5”, of C. Beck’s fire, Dec. 1973, in Vischer Ferry?

Folder 10: Photos, (6) of barn and house at Forts Ferry, 1905, showing ice blocks from Mohawk

River flooding.

Folder 11: Photos, (2, incl. 2 cop. of 1 photo), of woman on the old towpath along Erie Canal at

Vischer Ferry, 1956.

Folder 12: Photo (3 cop. of 1 photo and a enlarged photo of portion of the photo), of a

reproduction of aViking ship on the canal at Watervliet, on the way to the Chicago World’s Fair,

1894-5?

Folder 13: Photo (2 cop.) of a photo, by H.I. Becker?, n .d. of Cohoes Falls, in the summer.

Folder 14: Photo, of parade, July 4, ca. 1905, at Clifton Park Village, passing Clifton Park Hotel

sheds.

Folder 15: Photos (4) of the Dunsback Ferry, 1 photo from a glass plate of the ferry with 4

enlarged paper print copies.

Folder 16: Photos (2, 2 cop. of 1 photo) of Albany skyline showing construction on Empire

State Plaza and Montgomery Ward building in Menands.

Folder 17: Photos (3), incl. photo of entrance of G.E. Plant at Schenectady, 1902, two photos of

RCA laboratory and RCA Institutes, 1920.

Folder 18: Photo (2 cop., 1 enlarged) of the old Waterford Bridge (betw. Waterford and

Cohoes), n.d.

Folder 19: Photo (2 cop., 1 enlarged) of the power company buildings a dam at Cohoes, NY,

1894. Also, photo (2 cop.)of canal outlet to mills in Cohoes, 1894; also, photo of canal between

Rt. 9 and Cohoes, 1894. Also, photograph of Broadway bridge and canal locks at Watervliet,

NY.

Folder 20: Photo (original, 1 reduced and 2 enlarged paper copies), of view of Erie Canal

between Dunsbach Ferry and Crescent, with barn (burning brick).

Folder 21: Photos (4 with copies of 3 photos), of the aqueduct at Crescent, NY, 1890-1900.

Folder 22: Photos (2 with copies) of NY Central tracks on bluff on south side of Mohawk

River, 1894 and photo of man and 2 boys fishing on dam looking towards south side of Mohawk.

Folder 23: Photos (6) views along the Mohawk River and Erie Canal, incl. view of the bluffs at

Rexford, n.d., also, view of canal boats crossing the Rexford aqueduct.

Folder 24: Photos (16) of places in Vischer Ferry, incl: photos of pen & ink sketches of Shaker

Island and a Mohawk view near Vischer Ferry, view from H.I. Becker’s house, white oak tree on

Jerome Van Vranken’s farm, old bridge pier at Vischer Ferry, 1956, Clute’s Dry Dock, 1959,

piano at Amity Church, 1968, Vischer Mill Pond, and 5 photos of country roads, probably at

Vischer Ferry, also photo (reproduction from a book, 7 cop.) of colonial mill, on the Steena Kill,

Vischers Ferry, NY, on the Peters farm; also Vischer Ferry bridge photo on a calendar, 19095

Folder 25: Photos (2) of crane and workers on the Mohawk River, possibly a dredging project,

n.d., ca. 1950?

Folder 26: Photos (2), of a glacial pot hole at Greenfield Center, n.d.

Folder 27: Photos (4) of people, incl: Col. John and Jane Campbell, 1971, 2 men on a boat in

the Mohawk River, 1969, a family portrait on a porch, n.d., ca. 1890? and a photo of a portrait of

a Middle Eastern man smoking, n.d.

Folder 28: Photos (7) of the following: Shaker Mill Pond, pine tree at Clifton Gardens

development, view of creek near Rexford, 2 views of a creek at Elnora, old mill by the pond,

Mohawk View, Shaker saw mill, Mohawk View.

Folder 29: Photos (4) Miscellaneous photos, incl: 4 photos on a sheet incl. views of the Staats

houses at Castleton and views of ship on the Hudson River at Rensselaer, spoon from funeral of

Christopher A. Yates funeral, 1802, photo of needlework list of students at a school in

Halfmoon, 1821, paper copies of photo of cover of a H.I. Becker’s book.

Folder 30: Photos (8) Unidentified views of farmland and other places; also, a composite photo

of 51 prominent American men; copy of a broadside about boat line from Schenectady to Utica,

1815.

Box 10: Publications

Folder 1: Clifton Park Telephone Directory, 1968

Folder 2: Supreme Court of NYS report of trial re: land suit for lands in Kayderosseras Patent,

1854-1863

Folder 3: (in box) Catalogue of Maps and Surveys ...Albany, NYega, by David E.E. Mix, 1851

Folder 4: A magazine, The Metropolitan, published by the Metropolitan Life Insurance Co.,

1891, with brief articles about a variety of topics as well as information about insurance

premiums, etc.. Also, a pamphlet, Hamilton, Man and College, by Walter Pilkington, Librarian

of Hamilton College, 1957.

Folder 5: Ephemera as follows: 2 advertising cards from W.H. Frear’s Troy Bazaar; Invitation to

a private dance at Union Hall, Grooms, NY, 1902 (6 cop.); advertising card of Mertens and

Phalen’s clothing store, Troy, NY; advertising card of Broadway Market, West Troy

(Watervliet), NY; advertising card for Lautz Bros. laundry soap; Christmas greeting card;

greeting card; British stamps (3)

Folder 6: Negative sheets from H.I. Becker’s Maps of the Lower Mohawk .

Four rolls of film, incl: Town of Clifton Park old road book (2 rolls), Boght Church Index and

First Part.

Box 11:

Newspaper Clippings:

This is a group of newspaper clippings, generally brittle and in need of photocopying, about

historical topics or people or events in Clifton Park or Saratoga and Schenectady counties. The

clippings are divided into three groups: Clifton Park, Saratoga County and Schenectady County.

Folder 1: Clifton Park clippings

Folder 2: Saratoga County clippings

Folder 3: Schenectady County clippings.

Maps and Papers related to Lands:

Published or Printed Maps, including photographs and other copies of such maps:

Folder 4: Map of Saratoga County from the Farmer’s Pocket Directory, 1890; the directory is

not with the map.

Folder 5: Rural Register of all farms of Schenectady and Southern Saratoga Counties, Ithaca,

1939, includes a map indicating the location of the families listed in the directory.

Folder 6: Historical Map of Schenectady County, 1931

Folder 7: Photographs of parts of the Land Use Map, Town of Clifton Park, 1961, including title,

and parts of the town showing area around Elnora and Jonesville.

Folder 8: Map of Town of Half Moon from reproduction of Beers’ Atlas of Saratoga County,

1866, 5 cop.

Folder 9: Map of Town of Clifton Park from reproduction of Beers’ Atlas of Saratoga County,

1866, 4 cop.

Folder 10: Map of the village of Vischer Ferry from reproduction of Beers’ Atlas of Saratoga

County, 1866, 28 copies; also close-up of part of the village and close-up of map showing area

from Vischer Ferry to Forts Ferry.

Folder 11: Miscellaneous copies from reproduction of Beers’ Atlas of Saratoga County, 1866,

incl. area around Grooms Corners, village of Rexford Flats, Jonesvilles, Crescent, view of

Jonesville Academy and title page of atlas.

Folder 12: Miscellaneous printed maps (3) incl: National Geographic map of Indians of North

America, 1972, photocopy of part of a topo map of the Adirondack region around Blue Mountain

and map of the world by General Electric Co. showing distances from WGY.

Manuscript Maps:

These are hand-drawn maps, often with notes, correspondence, and other textual additions as

well as photostat copies of early manuscript maps. Some maps are drawn by H.I. Becke; also

transcriptions of deeds and other early land records. The maps are of the parts of the Town of

Clifton Park and surrounding region. Some of the maps appear to have been drafts and or were

collected by Becker for his books, Early Maps of the Lower Mohawk River and History Ca-Nas-

Ta-Gi-O-Ne. Some of the maps are not identified.

Folder 13: Map of the Patent of Kayaderosseras, by Donald Carpenter, Jr., 1964;

Folder 14: Maps by H.I. Becker, including: map of both sides of the Mohawk River from

Alplaus to Vischer Ferry, map of Vischer Ferry area showing landowners in 1762, map of

portion of Kayaderosseras Patent, Clifton Park area, 1773, map showing The Boght 1772.

Folder 15: 5 negative photostats of maps of Schenectady and Niskayuna; the maps of

Schenectady are all mirror image and include the following: Reduced Copy of Map of

Schenectady by Vroman, 1768; Bouwlands of Schenectady, 1664 and Plan of Schenectady, ca.

Also, a photostat copy of a map of area west and north of Albany, n.d., probably late 18th

c. (3

cop.)

Folder 16: Blueprint copies of maps of Town of Clifton Park, incl.:

Map drawn by H.I. Becker showing landowners along the Erie Canal between Rexford

and Dunsbach Ferry, 1826-1829, drawn in 1943 (2 cop.); Map of Clifton Park alias

Chonendahowa, John R. Bleecker, 1768 (3 cop.); Map of Clifton Park alias Shanendahowa, 1765

(4 cop.); also, negatives of m aps, incl.: Clifton Park Patent, Clifton Park Patent from Sauthier’s

map, 1779, and Clifton Park, 1765 ?. Also, photograph prints (2) and negative of a map of the

Clifton Park Patent from the Secretary of State’s Office, 1765 and a copy made by H.I. Becker,

1923

Folder 17: Notes on the H.I. Becker farm, Vischers Ferry Road and notes on the Pickett Saw

Mill, Grooms Road.

Folder 18: File of miscellaneous correspondence, field notes, drafts of maps, and notes by H.I.

Becker related to his research about lands in Clifton Park.

Folder 19: Parts of an aerial map of Schenectady and surrounding area, n.d.

Folder 20: Miscellaneous genealogical and biographical material by H.I.Becker. Also,

miscellaneous items, incl. pages from Becker’s books,

Folder 21: A perpetual calendar from 1753-2059.

Box 12: Ledgers and Account Books

Account Book of Adam Mott, Clifton Park, 1860-1895, West Sand Lake, 1851-1853.

Diary of an unknown Assessor and Farmer, 1871.

Account Book of Grooms Store, Grooms Corners, Clifton Park.

1860 Record Book of Andrew Vandenburgh, local school teacher and merchant. Includes class

lists.

Ledger marked Schenectady Insurance Company, Schenectady, NY. Selected quotations,

compiler unknown.

Box 13: Notebook and Scrapbook

Notebook of Alfred Hall, 1867, containing plan for breech-loading gun, list of books, lists of

prominent persons, and original prose and poetry by A. W. Hall and students.

Scrapbook of Etta M. VanDenburgh Becker and Howard Becker, 1930-1943.

Newspapers, Oversize: Filed in Flat File

These are complete or nearly complete issues of newspapers and magazines that are oversize.

Most have an article or articles about the history of Clifton Park/Schenectady/Niskayuna region,

although not all. One or two are rare, possibly unique issues of newspapers. The following is a

title/date list of these newspapers;

Schenectady Gazette, 11/24/1956, with a full page of pictures and story about Vischer Ferry.

Knickerbocker New, 11/25/1972 with article about possible bike path at Forts Ferry

Schenectady Works News, 3/18/1949, a G.E. newspaper

Forest and Stream Rod and Gun, magazine, 10/24/1889

The Housewife, 1913 Premium List

Facsimile of Public Ledger, 3/25/1836, Philadelphia, PA newspaper

Republican Sentinel, Saratoga Springs, 2/16/1866.

Western Spectatoror Schenectady Weekly Advertiser, 12/16/1803

Crescent Eagle, Crescent, NY 4/6/1854

Schenectady Union-Star, 4/22/1955, 100th

Anniversary issue with several historical articles.

James Corsaro

Archivist

Anthony Baking Powder Mill

The Anthony Baking Powder Mill was an active industry in Halfmoon in the 19th

century. The

business began with the manufacture of Anthony’s Universal Baking Powder in 1869. The

company had a 25-year contract for baking powder for A & P in New York beginning in 1885.

Other products were added later, such as corn starch and a variety of spices and extracts.

Scope: Most of this collection was indeed donated by Howard Becker, but the labels in Folder 1

were donated by Amy Poe, who with her husband owned the property in 2010. The 1876

Bicarbonate of Soda booklet was donated by Gail Winters

Size: 3 folders.

Folder 1: A one-page history of the Anthony family and the mill, probably typed by Howard

Becker; 1876 Bi-Carbonate of Soda advertising booklet; undated advertising flyer for Anthony’s

Universal Baking Powder; 1875 Eastern New York Fair Certificate of Highest Merit; 1876 New

York State Agricultural Society Certificate of Merit; A & P labels for such items as Extract of

Celery and Essence Wintergreen; labels for Pistachio and Artificial Almond Compound.

Folder 2: Copy Photographs: 4 photos of mill complex of buildings; 2 photos of tower building

in complex; 5 photos of Anthony family home; “Joshua Anthony when he was In his teens;” a

later photograph of Joshua Anthony; family grouping with identification. Susan B. Anthony, a

relative, is in this photo; 4 photos of family groups; photo of unidentified house; “ Road Coming

out of Sidney’s home”; photo of bridge. There are multiples of several photos.

Folder 3: Copy Photographs, enlarged to 8 ¼” x 10”. Some but not all are copies of the photos in

Folder 2, and some have further explanatory writing on them. 6 photos have been hand-colored

by Howard Becker; 15 have not.

Boy Scouts of America Troop 28

Clifton Park Center Scrapbooks

History: Troop 28 of the BSA was organized in May 1950 and sponsored by the Clifton Park Center Baptist Church. Glenn Rapalee was the first Scoutmaster until 1951 and was succeeded by George Gage. In 1953, Edward Miller became Scoutmaster and served until 1975. Paul Tinney replaced Miller in 1975. The troop took many camping trips, did blood donor drives and other scouting activities. Scope: There are three bound scrapbooks for this collection, 1950-1978. The scrapbooks include photographs, newspaper clippings, annual reports, correspondence, plans for camping trips and other materials. The scrapbooks are either “magnetic” (sticky pages) scrapbooks or clippings have been taped to the pages; the clippings and other items may not be able to be removed without the work of a paper conservator. Scrapbook #3 in addition to being a “magnetic” scrapbook has most of its pages wrinkled. Donor: Keeler family? Size: 1 box, 1.5 lin.ft. Contents: Three scrapbooks related to the BSA, Troop 28, as follows: Scrapbook #1, 1950-1978, incl. photographs of scouts and leaders at Camp Saratoga, 1950-51, programs for events, annual reports of troop, 1970-72, instructions for camping trip to Mt. Marcy, 1971 and other items. Scrapbook #2: 1950-1970, incl. photocopies of programs and other items, photographs of Camp Saratoga, Indian Village at Lake George, annual reports,1960-69, plans for camping trip, photos of Eagle Scout awards events, newspaper clippings about Troop 28. Scrapbook possibly was compiled by James S. Keeler, assistant advisor to the troop. Scrapbook #3 1965-1975, is almost entirely newspaper clippings about the activities and events of the troop; a few letters, and 5 photographs of the scouts at a Christmas tree recycling event. James Corsaro Archivist

Clifton Park Baptist Church

Records

History: This church, the first in Clifton Park, NY, was formed in 1794 and its first minister

was Abijah Peck, which position he held until his death in 1848. The church was the mother

church of several other local Baptist churches. The church’s second building was constructed in

1837 and it still stands in the town.

Scope: This collection includes histories of the church and a biographical sketch of the first

minister, Elder Abijah Peck; articles of faith and covenant of the church, deeds, probably related

to the church property as Eld. Peck is involved in all three deeds. Other than a transcript of grave

records in the church cemetery, there are no vital statistics records of the church, no church

trustee minutes or records of any of the other groups of the church.

Donor: Except as noted, these records were received from Alfred C. Stevens.

Size: 1 box, 1 lin.ft.

Contents:

Folder 1-4: Historical material of the Clifton Park Baptist Church as follows:

1. Typescript: The Old Paths or A Sketch of the Rise and Progress of the Clifton Park

Baptist Church…by Rev. W. J. Crumb, Feb. 15, 1853. This is a typed copy of this

printed history of the church, published in 1853. 3 copies, one from Howard Becker.

2. Manuscript history of the church, unknown author, n.d.; a sketch of the church’s

history during it early years. May have been written in the late 19th

century.

3. Newspaper article from a newspaper called the “Register.” The article is a long

religious biography of Abijah Peck, who died in Clifton Park at 90 years of age on

Nov. 12, 1848. The newspaper is probably a Baptist newspaper.

4. Typescript: Baptist Church Cemetery Town of Clifton Park, an alphabetical listing of

the graves in that cemetery, Henry Ritchie, 1954. Typescript: Clifton Park Baptist

Church Membership List, 1940’s?

Folder 5-9: Church documents, including:

5. Typed copy of the first covenant of the church, 1794

6. Articles of Faith and Articles of Practice of Clifton Park Baptist Church, manuscript,

n.d., ca. 1840?

7. List of persons agreeing to pay for burying lots , June 1,, 1856

8. Bottom half of a document, Oct. 6, 1811; the document appears to be a subscription

list of members to pay for the building of a church building.

9. Letter of acceptance of pastorate to the church trustees from Rev. Wm. V.

Onderdonk, 1899

10. Statistical report of the Second Halfmoon Church in Clifton Park Village, Saratoga

Association,1895.

Folder 11-14: Land records of the church as follows:

11. Deed of land of Thomas C. Smith, deceased, from executors of Smith’s estate to

Abijah Peck, Jr., for land in Clifton Park, NY, April 23, 1832

12. Deed from Thomas Huntington to Thomas Smith, for lands in Clifton Park, NY, Oct.

14, 1784.

13. Deed from Nanning Visscher to Abijah Peck, for lands in Clifton Park, Oct.12, 1807.

James Corsaro

Archivist

Folder 14-15: Celebrations

14. Birthday party invitation, 1896. Donors: Ruth Klin and Marjorie Shaw. Xerox copy:

150th

anniversary, 1794 to 1944, on cover: Elizabeth Greene, Elnora, NY. Pamphlet:

“in Proud Humility we present our children, our church… and the needs of both,”

1957, donated by Howard I. Becker.

15. Pamphlet: Bicentennial of Clifton Park Center Baptist Church, 1794-1994. 2 copies.

Worship bulletin, Clifton Park Center Baptist Church (1794-1994). A Service of

Worship Commemorating the Life of John Peck, with signature Ev Dash.

Gail Winters,

Librarian

Clifton Park Civic Association

Minutes and other Papers History: This organization was formed originally as the Federation of Clifton Park Homeowners Organizations in 1979. That organization was made up of the presidents of several homeowners groups. The organization which was created as a non-partisan, non-political organization worked on issues of concern to the homeowners of Clifton Park, including zoning and development issues, road construction along Rt. 146, ridesharing programs, park and recreation space and development and other issues. The Federation of Clifton Park Homeowners Organizations eventually changed its name to the Clifton Park Civic Association. Scope: This collection includes the minutes of the Civic Association, correspondence, by-laws of the various homeowners associations, newsletters, and newspaper clippings about the organization and development issues in the town of Clifton Park, ca. 1978-1980. Size: 1 box, 1 lin.ft. Donor: Donated by Joanna Smith of Vischer Ferry. Box 1: Contents: Folder 1: By-laws, 1973-1980, of homeowners associations in the Town of Clifton Park, including: Country Knolls Civic Association, Northcrest Civic Association, Clifton Knolls Civic Association, Vischer Ferry Association, Mohawk Active Voter Alliance, Woodland Hills Homeowners Association, Calico Colony Civic Association, Sherwood Forest Civic Association and the Federation of Clifton Park Homeowners Organizations; also, a copy of the certificate of incorporation of the Federation. Folder 2: Correspondence received, 1978-79, including a letters with reports with financial statements regarding the Country Knolls Water Works, Inc., August and November, 1978. Folder 3: Correspondence, sent, Jan.-Nov. 1979, about topics such as construction work on Rt. 146, zoning, ridesharing programs; also a blank copy of a survey form sent to homeowners in the town in 1979 eliciting opinions about development and other issues in the town and a report on the results of the survey questionnaire.

Folder 4: List of members of the council of presidents of the Federation, Spring 1978. There is a also set of questionnaires completed by the presidents of the various homeowners associations about their organizations. Folder 5: Letters naming alternate representatives of homeowners associations to the Federation, 1979. Folder 6: Printed legal memoranda and other material related to development collected by a task force about growth and development in Clifton Park, 1979. Most of the memoranda are published documents of the NYS Dept. of State on topics such as: moratoriums on land development, spot zoning, regulation of mobile homes and other topics. There are a few legal memoranda from NYS counties relating to development. Most of the memoranda were published from about 1973-76.

Folder 7: Newsletters of some of the homeowners associations, 1978-79, incl. The Crest Courier, Mohawk Active Voter Alliance, Woodland Hills Homeowners Association, Vischer Ferry Association and Calico Colony Civic Association, Country Knolls Courier. Folder 8: Meeting Minutes of the Federation from April 1978-May 8, 1980. The minutes of April 13, 1978 are previous to the formation of the Federation and the formation of the association was discussed at the meeting. Folder 9: Clippings from various local newspapers, 1979, about events, people, and issues re: to Clifton Park. James Corsaro Archivist

Clifton Park Methodist Episcopal Church (Grooms) Histories

History:

The Clifton Park Methodist Episcopal Church, later known as the Grooms Church, had

its beginning in 1788 as one of six circuits comprising a very large district. The following

year the present congregation was established. The church served as a “mother” church to

the Jonesville Church in 1825, the Mechanicsville Church in 1828, the Newton Church in

1828, the Rexford Church in 1839, the Clifton Park village church, and the Crescent

Church, in 1852. The congregation merged with the Shenendehowa United Methodist

Church around 1957.

The first building was built probably in 1793. It was made of logs and doubled as a

schoolhouse. A second church, built in 1804, was used for 30 years. A third church

building was built in 1834. A plain building with no steeple, painted white, it was known

as “the White Church.” After the congregation merged with the Shenendehowa United

Methodist Church, the old building became a furniture store. It burned in 1975.

Scope: History Grooms Church, Historical Address by Newman W. Adsit. Framed

advertisement for 1915 event.

Size: One folder.

Folder 1: Historical Address by Newman W. Adsit, Delivered at the Anniversary

Services of Old Clifton Park M. E. Church, September 14 and 15, 1935….” Typescript.

20 p. Contains names of leaders from 1799; Appendixes: Certificate of Incorporation,

Deed for Church property (with names of signers). Stamp and Signature: Howard I.

Becker.

History Grooms Church. Historical Address by Newman W. Adsit…. Reprinted by

Grooms WSCS, May 21, 1958. Bulletin tipped in at back: The Shenendehowa Methodist

Church…Elnora, New York, May 11, 1958. Ground Breaking Service.

Brief History of the Old Clifton Park Methodist Episcopal Church (Now the Grooms

Methodist Episcopal Church)…Members and Officials of the Old Clifton Park Methodist

Episcopal Church 1703 and Up, Indexed by Donald D. Hand. Typescript and Xerox copy

(pp. 5-19).

Clifton Park Players Records

History: The Clifton Park Players began as a group in 1993 and appears to have had regular productions in the summer, fall and spring annually in the 1990s. The group was founded to supply outdoor summer theater, using the stage in the town park. By 1995, the troupe had begun to have shows in other local venues in the other seasons. In 1995, the troupe created itself as a non-profit corporation with a 9 member board. In the summer of 1997, the group moved its production to Cohoes Music Hall and did not perform at the Clifton Park town park stage. Scope: This collection consists chiefly of the business papers of this local theater group, including program ads, program layouts and advertising forms, meeting minutes of production committees, correspondence with Town of Clifton Park Office of Parks and Recreation. It is arranged by production. The main part of this collection is the program ad forms and program layouts for each show. There are many Clifton Park businesses noted as ad buyers in the programs. Size: 1 box, 1 lin. ft. Donor: Alison Fairbanks, CPP Historian Contents: Folder 1: Barnum, with records chiefly from June-July 1995 Folder 2: Bye, Bye, Birdie, July 1994 Folder 3: Canteen, November 1995 Folder 4: You Gotta Charleston, November 19? Folder 5: Our Town, March 1995 Folder 6: The Ghost Town, March ? James Corsaro Archivist

Clifton Park Reformed Church (The North Church)

History

History: An early Dutch Reformed Church congregation met in a building built before

1800 on Clifton Park Center Road. It stood on the opposite side of Clifton Park Center

road from the Millious Clifton Park Reformed Cemetery. As many members of the

congregation lived in or near Vischer Ferry, a second church, Amity Reformed, was built

there in 1802, The Clifton Park Center Road church became known as “the north

church.” The building was sold in 1862.

Scope: The collection consists of copies of a pamphlet, Clifton Park Reformed Church,

ca.1795-1850, by H. I. Becker.

Donor: Howard I. Becker.

Size: One folder.

Contents: Clifton Park Reformed Church, ca. 1795-1850, by H. I. Becker. 9 copies.

Typscript. All copies signed: H. I Becker 1952. 1 copy covered and with map of Clifton

Park tipped in.

Clifton Park Study Group Archives

History: The Clifton Park Study Group was formed in September 1942 by a group of women in the town, chiefly farm women, who because of the lack of easy transportation and the relative isolation of farm life, felt the need for socialization and intellectual stimulation. The women organized and met monthly at member’s homes. A great diversity of topics and books web were read and discussed at the meetings. Because of the efforts of these women in the Fifties, the Southern Adirondack Library System decided to schedule bookmobile stops in Clifton Park. Scope: The collection includes two minute books, 1942-1946 and 1946-1948 and a copy of a newspaper with an article about the Group, 1976. The minute books include information about where the group met, election of officers and what topics or books were discussed. Size: 2 folders, .30 lin.ft. Donor: Betty Kleiner, Clifton Park, NY for the Clifton Park Study Club, April 2009. Contents: Folder 1: Two minute books, 1942-1946 and 1946-1948 Folder 2: Copy of the Clifton Park Journal, March 24, 1976, with article about the Group; two letters to group members, 1944, re: to getting copies of a booklet called Homes for the World. (Filed with the Union Sunday School Association) James Corsaro Archivist

George T. Dows

Collection

History: George T. Dows was born June 30, 1894, the son of Adam and Hattie Dows. Adam

Dows was the son of John L. and Mary L. Dows and he was born about 1862. George T. Dows

was probably born in Halfmoon, NY and lived in Clifton Park, New York where he died in

January 1982. He never married and was a automobile mechanic and served with the U.S. Army

during World War I. His father Adam seems to have been in business as a lumber dealer (Werner

& Dows), a roofing company, and a company (Dows & Spires) that repaired and sold cidar

presses and other machinery. George T. Dows probably assisted his father in these businesses.

Scope: This collection includes Dows family records, including genealogy information, land

records, tax records, automobile records, letters, and other related papers. There are many

photographs of family members as well as of places, including Niagara Falls, Clifton Park, Troy,

Cohoes, Adirondack region, Massachusetts and other places. There are also photos of vehicles,

buildings and many photographic glass slides, mostly photos of Clifton Park United Methodist

Church.

Size: 3 boxes, 3 lin. ft.

Donor: Received from the George Dows Estate, March 1984

Contents:

Box 1:

Folder 0: Genealogy information about the Dows family.

Folder 1: Land records as follows:

Mortgage Transfer from E. Smith Strait to David Philips, of mortgage of Mary L. Dows,

1879 and 1880

Deed of Adam L. Dows to Hattie Dows, for land in Half Moon, 1913

Deed of Adam L. Dows to Hattie Dows and George T. Dows for strip of land in Halfmoon,

1837

Deed of Jacob W. Smith to Joseph Bramhall for land in Halfmoon, 1888

Bond of Joseph Bramhall to Melbern Van Voorhees, 1888

Tax sales of land to George T. Dows for land in Stillwater, 1929 and1931

Folder 2: Letters (2) from Geo. Dows to his parents, Buffalo, NY, July 1918 after he was

recruited for the Army and a letter to Dows from Troy YMCA, 1921 informing him that his

application for an Ex-Servicemen’s Scholarship was approved for him to take a course in

automobile engineering.

Folder 3: Bill sent to Werner & Dows, 189? (for lumber) and many bills sent to A.L. Dows and

to Dows and Spires for various supplies and equipment, especially from J.H. Eller & Co.,

Canton, OH for roofing supplies and from Monarch Machinery Co., New York, for cider presses

and parts, mainly 1904-1905.

Folder 4: Automobile papers, incl.: NYS drivers licenses for Adam L. Dows, 1926-1933 and

George T. Dows, 1951; gas ration card of George T., 1941; bill to George for a 1937 Nash sedan

and for a 1941 Nash..

Folder 5: Tax receipts for collection of state, county, town and school taxes from George T. and

Hattie Dows, 1942-1943.

Folder 6: Reports of teachers to School Dist. Superintendent of grades of individual students in

various subjects, Town of Clifton Park, 1936-1940.

Folder 7: Miscellaneous documents, incl.: burial permit for Mary L. Dows, resident of Round

Lake, NY, from Town of Halfmoon, NY May 18,1898 who died May 16, 1898 of chronic

bronchitis; letter to John Snyder of Clifton Park, April 9, 1896 from Saratoga Eagle newspaper

re: to commissions; letter to Peter B. Simmons, Clifton Park, NY, Aug. 22, 1892 from A.J.

Freeman re: his pension; Ticket for “Living Pictures” at Baptist Church, Clifton Park, ’94;

George T. Dows’ membership card for the American Legion, 1921, two invitations.

Folder 8: Miscellaneous U.S. Post Office items, incl.: letters, 1898 re: to whether a stage line

could be run on the same route as a postal route; a check to Adam L. Dows from the Post Office

and a card re: to the Postmaster of Clifton Park, 1897.

Folder 9: Jonesville Methodist Episcopal Church items, incl.: program for the 100th

anniversary

of the church, Dec. 12, 1926 with card with history of the church and a photograph of the church

building.

Folder 10: Framed items, as follows:

Luncheon Menu from Webb’s Coffee Shop, 1946

Recipes from Clifton Park Village Hotel, J.H. Brenneisen, proprietor, recipes for Feather

Cake, Black Strap and Eggless Cake, ca. 189?

Newspaper clipping, Sept. 6, 1909, about a car hit by a train at Round Lake that killed Dr.

Pierson C. Curtis and Mrs. Clarence E. Silvernail

Folder 11: Miscellaneous newspaper clippings about events in Clifton Park and obituaries of

residents. Also, a pamphlet, The Home of Kodak, Facts…Photographic Organization, Rochester,

NY, n.d.

Folder 12: Maps (2): Map of the Rural Delivery Routes, Saratoga County, NY, n.d. (poor

condition) and Map of the Saratoga County Highway System, 1956.

Box 2: Photographs

Folder 1: Photographs of George T. Dows individually and in groups of relatives and friends;

also photos of Adam and Hattie Dows, John and Anna Dows, ca. 47 photos. The photos of

George Dows represent him from youth to old age and include photos of him in uniform (U.S.

Navy), fishing, camping, riding a motorcycle and in group photos.

Folder 2: Photographs of scenes in Clifton Park, mainly about Rt. 9 and in winter; also photo of

the Episcopal Church of Clifton Park and of Fireman’s Parade; also, a photo of the Clifton Park-

Half Moon Emergency Corps ambulances; also, 2 color photos of Rt, 146 looking east; also

photo of West Crescent and a photo of covered bridge at Crescent?, ca. 15 photos.

Folder 3: Tintypes of unidentified group photos, 3 tintypes

Folder 4: Photographs (8x10) including photo of MacAran farm home with Aunt Mary and

another woman; also, photo of the Smith Carriage Shop (mutilated and missing part of photo

possibly from rodent damage), and copy photos of Dunsbach Ferry, Erie Canal at Rexford, C.

Smith’s hotel at Vischer Ferry, unidentified hotel, telephone poles and lines in farm field, and

unknown site (perhaps Rensselaer Park in Lansingburgh?)

Folder 5: Photographs of Niagara Falls and Niagara River, n.d. (ca. 1920 or earlier?), about 26

photos with negatives

Folder 6: Photographs removed from a photo album (empty album is filed in Box 1), including

photographs of George Dow in automobiles, group photos at lakeside (Lake Champlain?) and the

seashore, including photos of lighthouses, and windmills, family photos, photos of buildings,

photos of airplane (ca. 1915), ca. 45 photos.

Folder 7: Photographs of the Adirondacks and Lake Champlain, including camping photos; also

photos of Saratoga Lake and of Champlain Canal, ca. 18 photos.

Folder 8: Photographs of Massachusetts places, including Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, and

the Wayside Inn (Longfellow home), 9 photos.

Folder 9: Photographs as follows: photos of Saratoga Battle Monument (3) and of Goodyear

Blimp (2) and aerial view of Kodak Park, Rochester, NY, 1931.

Folder 10: Photographs of Troy and Cohoes, NY, 6 photos, incl. flood, 1913 in No. Troy,

Rensselaer Park, Cohoes Falls, and River St. with Rice Bldg.

Folder 11: Group photos of unidentified groups, some formal group portraits of church or group

from an organization and some informal group portraits, ca. 13 photos.

Folder 12: Three photos of construction of the National Commercial Bank (Key Bank) at corner

of Rts. 146 and 9, Clifton Park, NY

Folder 13: Two photos of airplane and pilot, ca. 1917?

Folder 14: Photos of seaside scenes, including photos of Hampton, Long Is., Gloucester, MA,

and Maine seacoast?, also photo of Anna Smith, wife of Amos Smith grave, unknown location,

10 photos

Folder 15: Photographs of individuals, many identified, including surnames, Flagler, Doty,

Snyder, Zeh, Holstein, Harmon, Cramer, Butler, Noyes, Morris, ca. 19 photos.

Folder 16: Photographs of unidentified buildings and houses, also, photo of an industrial city, 10

photos.

Folder 17: Photographs of vehicles, incl.: 2 photos of a car being towed out of a ditch by a

towtruck, ca. 1915?; a car parked on a mountain road, ca. 1935, a car and trailer parked next to a

barn in the snow, n.d., a tank running along a road(France?), and a parade float of a nursing

scene, ca. 1919?

Folder 18: Outdoor scenery, incl. Hudson River and Champlain Canal at Schuylerville, bridge on

the Mohawk River?, Thacher Park, Albany County; New Brunswick, Can., scene in Rockies?,

and other places, 25 photos

Folder 19: Two photos of cats and one photo of a dog.

Box 3: Photographs

This box contains 3 small boxes of 4x5 glass slides, unidentified and not printed. There is a letter

to John Scherer from Douglas Gallup with some explanation of these glass plate negatives,

which appear to include photographs related to the Clifton Park United Methodist Church. There

may be prints of some of these glass plate negatives in Box 2.

There are also 5 envelopes of negatives of photographs, most with prints found in Box 2.

Also 1 envelope with 2 small pieces of fabric printed with outdoor scenes and a fabric insignia

and two cloth badges (NY and White’s Electronics, Inc.)

James Corsaro

Archivist

Elnora Post Office Record Books

History: The Elnora Post Office was possibly opened in 1890 at Elnora as that is when the earliest records begin. Postmasters are listed below in the contents section of this inventory.The post office was located in the Jump and Peterson Grocery, as was often the case for rural post offices until larger post offices were built. The postmasters in the grocery store were Richard Jump and Lena Peterson, the spouse of the co-owner of the store, Nelson Peterson and later Lillian Payne. When the grocery business closed, the post office was moved to the front of the building. The post office closed in January 1976 when the Clifton Park Post Office was opened. Scope: This collection is chiefly a group of the account and record books of the Elnora Post Office. The books are a source of names of people who used the post office from Clifton Park and who purchased or received money orders. There is a petition dated 1976 from residents in Halfmoon who wanted the name of the new Clifton Park P.O. to include the name of Halfmoon and there are 4 photos of postal workers at the Elnora P.O. in 1970. Size: 3 boxes, 3 lin. ft. Donor: Gift of Don Berthiaume Contents: Box 1: Record and Postal Account Books of the Elnora Post Office. These are financial record books of the post office keeping accounts of the numbers and kinds of stamps and other postal materials received and sold each month, postal boxes rented, lists of unmailable material, etc.. Most of the books have a few official printed documents from the U.S. Post Office and there are miscellaneous scraps as well, including some receipts of the W.H. Turpit general merchandise store in Elnora. (Was this store the predecessor of the Jump/Peterson store?) The following records books are in the collection: Book 1: Feb. 1890—Dec. 1894, Postmasters, W.L. Hubbs, E.D. Weed, Geo. T. Smith Book 2: Jan. 1895-June 1897, Postmasters, Geo. T. Smith and E.D. Weed Book 3: July 1897-June 1900, Postmaster, Elbridge D. Weed Book 4: July 1900-June 1902, Postmasters, E.D. Weed, Avery Jewett, Geo. T. Smith Book 5: April 1902-Dec. 1904, Postmasters, Geo. T. Smith Book 6: Jan. 1905-Dec. 1907, Postmaster, Geo. T. Smith Book 7: Jan. 1908-June1910, Postmaster, Geo.T. Smith, and Wm. H. Turpit Box 1: Miscellaneous Material: Folder 1: File of speeches, instructions and other material for the zip code campaign by the U.S. Post Office, 1964-1967.

Folder 2: Photographs of postal workers at the Van Patten Club House, Christmas 1970 and photos of Elnora P.O. interior, 4 photos. Folder 3: Correspondence, Nov. 1975 and Jan.-Feb.1976, with petition of citizens to add the name, Halfmoon, to the name of the new post office. Folder 4: Miscellaneous correspondence and printed notices from the U.S. Post Office, 1925, 1928, 1933, 1978, including post office notices about forged money orders, 1928. Box 2: Record and Postal Account Books of the Elnora Post Office:

Book 8: July 1910-June 1913, Postmaster, Wm. H. Turpit Book 9: July 1913-July 1916, Postmaster, Wm. H. Turpit Book 10: July 1916-Dec. 1917, Postmaster, Wm. H. Turpit Money Order Record Books: The following are record books of money orders issued and received and the cash books for the money orders. Register of Money Orders Issued at the Post Office, 1904-1909. The data in this book incl.: date, name of order remitter, name of payee, post office drawn upon, amount of money order and fee paid. Register of Money Order Advices Received, 1904-1927. The data in this book incl.: dates, office where order was issued, remitter, payee, amount of order and date when the order was paid. Register of Money Orders Paid and Advices Received at the Post Office, 1927-1942. The data in this book incl.: dates, office where order was issued, remitter, payee, amount of order, date paid. Box 3: Cash Book of the Domestic Money Order Office, 3 books, 1904-1909, 1909-1913, and 1913-1917. These books are accounts of the money received and paid out for money orders. Printed Books: Postal Laws and Regulations of the U.S.A, Washington, GPO, 1924. United States Official Postal Guide, Jan. 1904. James Corsaro, Archivist

Evans Family Collection

History: Adam Caldwell, husband of Eliza Evans, is listed in the 1871 directory of Saratoga County as a farmer in Grooms Corners, Clifton Park with 175 acres. The Andrew Evans family had a farm on Sugar Hill Road in Clifton Park. Scope: This collection includes several books of religion owned by the Evans family and others, including Abijah Peck. There are also photographs of Ruth Purdy Hoyt, niece of Ellen Caldwell; postcards of Grooms Corners and other places, and a testimony of an incident involving a student at school in Dist. 16 of Clifton Park. Size: 2 boxes, 2 lin. ft. Donor: This collection of Evans family books and papers was donated by Betsy Cotton. Contents: Box 1: Books as follows Life of Lady Guion…New Bedford, MA, A. Sherman, Jr., 1805., vol. 1 of 2 vol. set only. Signed on front flyleaf “Abijah Peck’s Book, 1808.” #1 A Practical System of Modern Geography…by J. Olney, Hartford, CT, 1832, 10th ed.. On front flyleaf, “The Property of Eliza Evans, Jan. 1st, 1833.” Also a note of a later date “Adam Caldwell’s first wife.” #2 The New Testament of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ…Cambridge, MA, J. Archdeacon and J. Burges, 1794. On title page and back flyleaf, “Abigail Evans Book.” #3 The Pilgrims Progress…, by John Bunyan, Hartford, CT, Silas Andrus, 1828. Annotations “Andrew Evans Book.” #4 The Holy Bible…Hartford, CT, Andrus & Judd, 1832. Front flyleaf note: “Eliza Evans Bible,” and note “1st wife of Adam J. Caldwell, Rexfords, NY, Grooms Corners.” #5 The Works of the Rev. Andrew Fuller in Eight Volumes, New Haven, CT, S. Converse, 1825, vol. 5 only. Note on front flyleaf: “Abijah Peck’s Book, Price 15/,” also note “related to 1st wife of Adam J. Caldwell.” #6

New Historical, Geographical…Dictionary of the Holy Bible, by John Brown, Minister of the Gospel, Haddington, R. Morison and Son, Booksellers, Perth, 1796. Note on back flyleaf, “Abijah Peck’s Book.” Also slip of paper with note: From Aunt Ellen Caldwell’s estate.” #7 Box 2: Books as follows: Select Practical Writings of Richard Baxter with a Life of the Author, by Leonard Bacon, Pastor of the First Church of New Haven, New Haven, Durrie and Peck, 1835, 2 vol.. Note that the set belonged to Ruth Evans, mother of Eliza Evans, Adam J. Caldwell’s first wife. #8-9. The Holy Bible…, New York, Daniel D. Smith, 1827. Book is in tattered condition with several pages badly torn; has a homemade leather cover and some pages at the front and back have been resewn into the binding. This Bible has the Evans family record of birth, marriage and death records. These records have been photocopied and the copy is found elsewhere in this collection. Other family names in this record include Caldwell, Benedict, Brooks, Groot and DeGolyer. Miscellaneous Evans Family Papers: These papers are filed in Drawer 2 of the Map Case. Folder 1: Two issues of the newspaper The Examiner, or N.Y. Recorder and N.Y. Baptist Register, published by Edward Bright, New York, NY. Issues for July 21, 1859 and September 29, 1859. Both issues are folded and tattered with several tears. The issue for Sept. 29 may have been saved because there is a marriage notice of the marriage of Mr. L.S.Clark of Troy, NY to Miss Sophia Peck of Clifton Park, NY, Sept. 20. Papers appeared to have belonged to Mrs. Ruth Evans. The papers are stored separately from the collection in drawer 2 of the map case. Folder 2: Family records of the Evans and Caldwell families, including photocopy of the Evans family records from the family Bible found in Box 2; Family Group Record sheet for the family of Elizabeth Snyder and Peter Caldwell of Clifton Park and members of the Clifton Park Center Baptist Church; a sheet of notes of Caldwell/Evans family data; 3 page genealogy of the Wallace Family by J.P. Crayon of Rockaway, NY including data about the Wallace, Purdy and Hoyt and including Ellen Wallace, 2nd wife of Adam Caldwell of Grooms Corners. Folder 3: Postcards (5) all dated 1913 in pencil. Two of the cards show buildings badly damaged by a cyclone in Crescent and 3 cards show a street and homes at Grooms Corners. Folder 4: Photographs (8), including: 4 photos of Ruth Purdy (Hoyt) at Aunt Ellen (Wallace) Caldwell farm; photo of a ferry on the Mohawk River at Vischers Ferry?, 3 photos of Ellen Wallace Caldwell farm at Grooms Corners.

Folder 5: Transcript of testimony about an incident at a District 16 school in Clifton Park involving a boy named George Benaway, n.d.; in several pieces; a photocopy of the document is with the original. Also a few miscellaneous scraps. James Corsaro Archivist

Town of Clifton Park

Family Genealogy Collection

History: This is a collection of family history files that have been gathered and collected by the library and town historian over several years. The collection grows regularly by the addition of new family genealogies. Some of the family history files were actually created by Howard I. Becker as Town Historian. Scope: The papers in these files include family trees, vital statistics records, correspondence, miscellaneous notes and original records. Size: 1 box, 1 lin. ft. Donors: The family history files in this collection were donated by a various people, mainly family genealogists. Contents: The following family records files are in alphabetical order. There are some files with more than one family with a large amount of information and these are listed as well. However, family surnames that have only brief mention are not indexed. F. 1: Adsit-Groat-Pearse family history. Also, noted is the Emmons family. Arnold family: See Gage Family F. 2: Baird, Robert and Alexander descendants Becker family: See Gage Family F. 3: Bettys/Bettis family; includes two issues of the Ballston Journal, May , 1957 which include a history of the village of Ballston Spa. F. 4: Descendants of Valentine Brown, (1755-1817), by Charles P. Brown, 1974; includes among many families, Bowen, Burke, Young family data. F. 5: Cookingham family F. 6: Cornell Cousins..., 1971; descendants of Henry A. Cornell, son of Isaac. F. 7: Fonda family Fort family: See Vischer family F. 8: Genealogical record of Jurgen (George) Freligh, Dutchess County, NY, 1743-1799 (photocopy); also photocopy of the Diary of Dr. Michael Freligh’s trip from Schenectady to Plattsburgh, NY 1806; also Freligh family trees. F. 9: Gage family; also Arnold, Becker families. F. 10: Garnsey family F. 11: Groat family; also Lansing family. Also, see Adsit family

Grooms family: See Vischer family F. 12: Hart family; also, Quivey family F. 13: Hubbs family F. 14: Keeler family; also Bentley, Reed, and Wagar families F. 15: Knowlton family Lansing family: See Groat family F. 16: McCourtie family, including copy photos of Thomas and Catherine Doty McCourtie F. 17: Mix family; also Woodin family F. 18: Nessle family; also Shepherd family F. 19: Descendants of Matthew Palmer Pearse family: See Adsit family Putnam family: See Vischer family F. 20: Henry Rexford family Root family: See Vischer family F. 21: Shepherd family (also see Nessle family) F. 22: Smith family of Elnora, NY F. 23: Capt. George Oscar Sokalski, 1839-1867 F. 24: Tourtellot family F. 25: Van De Bogart family, by Howard McConville, 1966 F. 26: Van Schoonhoven Cemetery, copied by Durkee, 1877 F. 27: Van Vranken family F. 28-29: Vischer Family, including Root, Putnam, Grooms, Fort, and other families. This large file also includes copies of Vischer family wills, (including original wills of Eldert Vischer, 1822 and Cornelius G. Visscher, 1880) photographs, family tree charts. F. 30: Volwieder family James Corsaro Archivist

George Farrall

Collection

History:

George A. Farrall was a well-known scientist at the General Electric Research and

Development Center in Niskayuna and a resident of Rexford for many years before his

death on January 20, 2010. He was also an amateur historian interested in the several

amusement parks which operated in Rexford. Known first as Luna Park, which opened in

1906, and later as Dolle’s Park, Palisades Park, and Rexford Park, the facility closed in

1933. Mr. Farrell built his own home on the site of these parks in about 1980 and

published a book, The Amusement Park at Rexford in 2003. His interest extended to the

history of the Erie Canal in the immediate area; he was organizing material for a book on

this subject at the time of his death.

Scope:

This is a collection of resource materials relating to the Rexford amusement parks and to

the eastern section of the Erie Canal. Included are copies of newspaper clippings, many

copy photos and a small amount of correspondence. Small binders contain the text and

copy photographs for the unpublished book on the Erie Canal. Floppy discs contain

similar information.

Size: 4 boxes, 5 lin. ft.

Donor: George A. Farrall

Contents:

Box 1: A chronology of park events. Histories of the parks. Photos, copy photos,

photocopies, postcards, and other materials used in The Amusement Park at Rexford. A

folder of copy photos for use in the projected book, The Erie Canal; some photos are

from the collections of Francis Spoonogle and Joseph Papp. Correspondance and color

photos of Mr. Farrell, the Bridge at Rexford, and the Rexford shoreline.

Box 2: Two small, black binders containing a text and references to photographs for the

book, The Erie Canal, with reference to the disks on which the text and photos can be

found. A third, small, white binder containing numbered pages and photographs, ready

for publication.

Box 3: A blue binder containing Xerox copies of newspaper articles and copy

photographs about the Erie Canal. A white binder containing the copy photographs to be

used in The Erie Canal, with notes of the text page. Aerial photos of Park site, Rexford,

and Mohawk River. Copy photo of boats crossing Rexford aqueduct.

Box 4: Floppy discs and one CD with text and photographs for The Amusement Park at

Rexford and The Erie Canal.

Garnsey Family

Papers History: The Garnsey family came from Connecticut to Saratoga County via Amenia, Dutchess County in the late 18th century. Nathan Garnsey was one of the sons of these Garnsey settlers and his son David married Esther Rogers. David and Ester Garnsey had 10 children and the papers in this collection are those created by this family. David graduated from Union College in 1800 and his children were educated in various academies, although 5 of them died before reaching 25 years of age. The most prominent member of this family was Lewis R. Garnsey, many of whose papers are found in this collection. Lewis R. was born in 1810 and died in 1878. He was a farmer in Clifton Park his entire life. He married Augusta S. Groom and the couple had 5 children. N. Sylvester’s History of Saratoga County includes a picture of the home of Lewis R. Garnsey. Scope: This collection includes substantial family correspondence, chiefly among the children of David and Nancy Garnsey, i.e. Elizabeth, David, Pliny, Lewis R. and others. The letters between these siblings are often written by them as they are away at schools (Cazenovia Seminary and Wesleyan University). Papers are also related to estates of Garnseys, tax records of Lewis R. Garnsey, land records and other material. There are a few photographs, unidentified, but possibly of Garnsey family members. There are also some papers related to the Grooms family of Clifton Park. Size: 2 boxes, 2 lin. ft. Donor: Acquired from Margaret Low Lavery (spouse of Lewis Lavery), Round Lake, NY, date?? Contents: Box 1: Family and Other Correspondence Folder 1: Lewis Rogers Garnsey, n.d. and 1833-1877 Folder 2: Elizabeth Star Garnsey, n.d. and 1837-1840 Folder 3: Same, 1841-1842 Folder 4: David Garnsey, n.d. and 1837-1842 Folder 5: Esther Rogers Garnsey, 1830-1833 Folder 6: Nathan David Garnsey, 1841, 1890 Folder 7: Nancy Hunter Garnsey, n.d. and 1836 Folder 8: Livia (Livinia) Garnsey, 1839-1842, 1848 Folder 9: Pliny Garnsey, 1837-1849

Folder 10: Letter from a student, Katie ?, at NYS Institute for the Blind at Batavia to Mrs. Garnsey, April 30, 1878? Folder 11: Letter from Wallace Groom to sister, (Augusta Groom Garnsey?), NY, 1873.

Folder 12: Letters (8) from W.H. Rockwell, Brattleboro, VT, 1859-1863 regarding receipts of payment for the care of Lydia H. Hubbell at Vermont Asylum and for Folder 13: Postcards and business cards, 1874-1886 and n.d. to Garnsey family. Folder 14: Letter from Abigail Close to Sarah Starr of Ridgebury, CT?, dated Salem, MA?, 1774. Box 2: Various papers of the Garnsey and other families Folder 1: Nathan Garnsey estate papers, including accounts and inventory by executors of estate, 1824-1830 Folder 2: Federal tax returns of Lewis R. Garnsey, 1862, 1864, 1865, 1867. Also, a statement of assessment of payment to Union Insurance Company. Also, a lease for a grocery in Crescent, NY of George Houghtaling. Folder 3: Wills of: Elizabeth S. Garnsey, Clifton Park, 1842 (copy made in 1845); Abijah Peck, Clifton Park, 1848; Herbert T. Bonesteel, 1938.

Folder 4: Certificate of Appointment of Lewis R. Garnsey as a Sergeant in th 144th Regt., 9th Brig. of the NYS Militia, Capt. Abijah Peck, 1826 with certifications of his attendance at training, 1828-1835. Folder 5: Book of accounts of money received and paid, ca, 1829-1865; probably John Peck of Rexford Flats book; includes accounts of money spent for the care of Mrs. Lydia Hubbell in Brattleboro, VT.; also has a list of women who were members of some group. Also, deed from Joseph Peck to John Peck, in Halfmoon, 1813; also promissory note of John Peck, 1859; also, certification of letters testamentary on estate of John Peck, 1862. Folder 6: Papers of Marguerite and Lewis F. Lavery, including mortgage for home in Round Lake, 1941, letters 1954-55 and n.d. Lewis F. Lavery was the son of A. A. Lavery and Lillian Garnsey Lavery of Round Lake; Lillian Garnsey Lavery was the daughter of Lewis R. Garnsey. Folder 7: Recipes for grafting in trees and for ague in a woman, n.d. (ca. 1845?). Folder 8: Guardianships (2) for Augusta, Louisa, Wallace, Phoebe Jane, Elbert, and Roxaphene Grooms, 1851. Folder 9: Papers re: to David Garnsey, including leases for rent of lands in Half Moon, 1826; map of land surveyed by D. Garnsey, 1818; agreement to teach an “English school,” in the Town of Half Moon, 1799; letter of Peter B. Garnsey to D. Garnsey and others re: to a mortgage, 1815; and statement by executors of D. Garnsey’s estate, 1832. Folder 10: Papers related to the estates of David, Elizabeth and Nancy H. Garnsey, 1843-1845.

Folder 12: Letters (8) from W.H. Rockwell, Brattleboro, VT, 1859-1863 regarding receipts of payment for the care of Lydia H. Hubbell at Vermont Asylum and for Folder 13: Postcards and business cards, 1874-1886 and n.d. to Garnsey family. Folder 14: Letter from Abigail Close to Sarah Starr of Ridgebury, CT?, dated Salem, MA?, 1774. Box 2: Various papers of the Garnsey and other families Folder 1: Nathan Garnsey estate papers, including accounts and inventory by executors of estate, 1824-1830 Folder 2: Federal tax returns of Lewis R. Garnsey, 1862, 1864, 1865, 1867. Also, a statement of assessment of payment to Union Insurance Company. Also, a lease for a grocery in Crescent, NY of George Houghtaling. Folder 3: Wills of: Elizabeth S. Garnsey, Clifton Park, 1842 (copy made in 1845); Abijah Peck, Clifton Park, 1848; Herbert T. Bonesteel, 1938.

Folder 4: Certificate of Appointment of Lewis R. Garnsey as a Sergeant in th 144th Regt., 9th Brig. of the NYS Militia, Capt. Abijah Peck, 1826 with certifications of his attendance at training, 1828-1835. Folder 5: Book of accounts of money received and paid, ca, 1829-1865; probably John Peck of Rexford Flats book; includes accounts of money spent for the care of Mrs. Lydia Hubbell in Brattleboro, VT.; also has a list of women who were members of some group. Also, deed from Joseph Peck to John Peck, in Halfmoon, 1813; also promissory note of John Peck, 1859; also, certification of letters testamentary on estate of John Peck, 1862. Folder 6: Papers of Marguerite and Lewis F. Lavery, including mortgage for home in Round Lake, 1941, letters 1954-55 and n.d. Lewis F. Lavery was the son of A. A. Lavery and Lillian Garnsey Lavery of Round Lake; Lillian Garnsey Lavery was the daughter of Lewis R. Garnsey. Folder 7: Recipes for grafting in trees and for ague in a woman, n.d. (ca. 1845?). Folder 8: Guardianships (2) for Augusta, Louisa, Wallace, Phoebe Jane, Elbert, and Roxaphene Grooms, 1851. Folder 9: Papers re: to David Garnsey, including leases for rent of lands in Half Moon, 1826; map of land surveyed by D. Garnsey, 1818; agreement to teach an “English school,” in the Town of Half Moon, 1799; letter of Peter B. Garnsey to D. Garnsey and others re: to a mortgage, 1815; and statement by executors of D. Garnsey’s estate, 1832. Folder 10: Papers related to the estates of David, Elizabeth and Nancy H. Garnsey, 1843-1845.

Folder 11: Receipts for tuition payments, 1836-1841, for Elizabeth, David and Pliny Garnsey for attendance at Troy Female Seminary, Cazenovia Seminary and Wesleyan University; also, a detailed statement of David Garnsey’s expenditures, June 1841-January 1842 at Wesleyan. Folder 12: Printed “Prospectus of The New Era, A Weekly Paper,” New York, ca. 1865 ( a Christian weekly.) Folder 13: Group of cancelled checks of Rulison and Garnsey from the Manufacturers National Bank of Mechanicville, 1915-1922. Folder 14: Survey field notes of lands in Clifton Park and Half Moon surveyed by David Garnsey and Nathan Garnsey, Jr., ca. 1805-1831. Folder 15: Handwritten testimony from a trial in Justice’s Court, of case Lewis R. Garnsey v. John E. McKnight, 1844. Folder 16: Deeds of the Grooms family, Clifton Park, NY, 1834, 1842, 1849,1873, 1884; also, letter of administration for estate of John S. Grooms of Lewis R. Garnsey, 1850 Folder 17: Field notes of A[braham] Moe’s land, n.d., ca. 1810? Folder 18: Abstract of title for lands in Winnebago Co., Wisconsin, 1859 with a postcard and form letter of Carter and Whipple, Attorneys, Milwaukee, WI; to L.R. Garnsey? Folder 19: Garnsey family deeds, Nathan, 1794, David, 1817, Nathan D., Lillian (Garnsey) Lavery, and others, 1934.

Folder 20: Unidentified photographs of small girl, two older ladies, a 14 year old girl (1886), and 3 photos of the same man and four stereopticon slides. Also, a sketch of an unidentified house. Folder 21: Empty used envelopes of the Garnsey family and others Folder 22: Miscellaneous papers and scraps. James Corsaro Archivist

JONESVILLE CEMETERY ASSOCIATION

History: The Jonesville Cemetery was opened in October, 1864 on 11.2 acres. 252

remains and monuments were moved from the Union Grove Cemetery on Main Street.

An additional 50 remains in two family cemeteries were moved here in the 20th

century.

Founders Roscius Kennedy, Garnesey Kennedy (brothers), Samuel Langdon, Morgan

Finch, Alexander Hubbs and John Higgins designed the nondenominational, Victorian

cemetery with named roads and paths and labeled sections such as Myrtle’s Mound. A

Pastoral Walk crossed the Longkill and connected the cemetery to land behind the

Methodist Church. The Cemetery is owned and operated by the Jonesville Cemetery

Association.

Scope: This collection contains the receipt for the lot of Daniel Date, April 27, 1865, and

an Indenture, July 1, 1865. There are copies of Howard Becker’s list of burials to 1877

taken from Durkee’s Epitafts. Folders 1 and 2 contain publications of the Jonesville

Cemetery Association, which was very active in the late 20th

and early 21st century.

Size: 4 folders.

Donor: Jonesville Cemetery Association unless noted.

Publications:

Folder 1: Keeping in Touch, 2006- ; Introduction: November, 2007 letter

introducing the Newsletter from Edward Hughes, Vice President

Folder 2: Dedications, etc.: “A Victorian Resting Place for All” brochure; “The

Story of this Special Place for Young People” brochure; Meneely Bell dedication, Oct.

22, 2008; Veteran’s Memorial dedication, May 16, 2009; John Scherer Bus tour, Oct. 23,

2010.

Deeds and Financial Papers:

Folder 3: Receipt for lot of Daniel Dater, April 27, 1864; Indenture, July 1, 1865,

between Trustees and Daniel Dater.

Donor: Norma Davey and The Jonesville Cemetery Association. Donor information

included.

Burial Information:

Folder 4: “Jonesville Cemetery, Town of Clifton Park, Saratoga County, NY,

Burials up to 1877 as Copied from Durkee’s Epitaths (sic), Vol 3, Pages 559-604”… H. I.

Becker, ’51. (5 copies)

Donor: Howard Becker

Miscellaneous:

Folder 4: Photocopy of “Map of Jonesville Cemetery, Saratoga Co., NY.”

McLane’s Hotel

Records

History Note:

McLane’s Hotel was located at Rexford Flats (originally known as the Rexford Flats Hotel)

and was bought by John McLane in 1897 by John McLane. McLane renovated the hotel, which

became a well-known community place that had rooms for 100 guests. Its closeness to the Barge

Canal made it a place of resort for “canawlers.” McLane was a businessman who also held

public offices, including Superintendent of Canals for the eastern division of the Barge Canal

and Chairman of the Saratoga County Democratic Party. McLane’s business include, besides the

hotel, sales of cider, vinegar, building stone and ice as well as for teaming of horses.

Scope Note:

This collection consists chiefly of financial record books, including ledgers and order books

from the hotel as well as business correspondence and receipts. There are 23 record books. The

general time period covered in the collection is 1895 to 1962 with the bulk of the material dated

1897-1916. The business correspondence is concerned chiefly with orders to John McLane for

cider and purchases by McLane for hotel equipment and equipment for cider making equipment.

The financial record books include accounts for purchases and sales of beer, apples and cider, ice

and for foodstuffs for the tavern at the hotel and for sale by John McLane. Many of the books are

indexed by name of account. The business correspondence and bills includes several trade

catalogs and brochures.

Size: 7 boxes, 7 lin. ft.

Donor: Clark and Chris Wilson, Rexford, NY donated collection to the Town of Clifton Park for

exhibit at the Grooms Tavern and it has been transferred by the Town to the Clifton Park-Half

Moon Public Library.

Contents:

Box 1: Correspondence and other Papers:

There are 18 folders of correspondence and bills and receipts of John McLane for, chiefly for

his sales of cider and vinegar and for equipment for cider-making. There are also a few other

documents of McLane related to other personal and business affairs.

Folder 1: Personal/family letters to McLane, 1908-1909

Folder 2: Letter and documents from the Secret Law and Order League of Ballston Spa, NY

re: rules for liquor dealers, 1909.

Folder 3: Letters (2) of McLane with NYS Superintendent of Public Works re: building of a

temporary dam on canal to harvest ice, 1909.

Folder 4: Summons and complaint of Saratoga County Supreme Court re: case of James C.

Burk v. Mary Mulligan and others (including John McLain), 1908.

Folder 5: Letters from Walter H. Hildick, Apple Cider and Cider Vinegar, Newv York, NY

1908-1909, re: orders for cider.

Folder 6: Letters from William Zinsser & Co. re: McLane’s purchase of benzoate of soda

and cider isinglass, 1908.

Folder 7: Letter and catalog from Saratoga Star Spring Co., re: Saratoga Star Water, 1908

Folder 8: Letters (2), 1908, 1909 re: McLane’s purchase of cider tank from Harder

Manufacturing Co., Cobleskill, NY.

Folder 9: Catalogs from Conron & Co., New York, NY re: liquors for sale.

Folder 10: Letter (1910) and bills for car parts (1908) to McLane from Winton Motor

Carriage Co., Cleveland, OH

Folder 11: Letter, 1909, from Keeler’s Hotel, Albany, NY, to McLane re: sale of cider.

Folders 12-13: Letters to McLane, chiefly orders for cider, or regarding sales of items to

McLane for hotel (piano, laundry equipment, etc.)

Folder 14: Contracts with Schenectady Illuminating Co., 1908-1909

Folder 15: Miscellaneous bills and receipts to McLane, with a few illustrated catalogs from

manufacturers, 1908-1910.

Folder 16: Stamp certificate for John H. McLane as a tobacco dealer from the U. S. Internal

Revenue, 1916, (in fragile condition)

Folder 17: Cancelled checks of John McLane with the Citizens Trust Co., Schenectady, NY,

1910 and 1917.

Folder 18: Empty envelopes.

Box 2: Photocopies and Photographs of Documents re: to Rexford history

These photocopied documents and correspondence as well as color photographs of artifacts

of the McLane and related families, the McLane Hotel, and of Rexford Flats history generally

were originally in a binder. The originals of these were kept by the Wilson family (the donors of

JONESVILLE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

Collection

History:

This church was organized on December 11, 1826, and was to be called The First

Methodist Episcopal Church in Jonesville. The organization was at first part of the Half

Moon circuit. In 1842, it became a station. The first building on the site of the church,

erected in 1827, was used until 1855, when a larger building was erected in its place by

George Higgins, builder. Extensive repairs were undertaken in 1881, the 1950’s, 1987,

and in 2009. A parsonage is maintained adjacent to the church.

Scope: The collection consists of church histories, information, and directories dating

from the early 21st century. Pamphlets written at times of celebration date from 1898 to

1959 are included. Materials are from the Church Historian Dan Moran except as noted.

Size: 3 folders

Folder 1: Histories of organization and buildings: c. 2001, The History of Jonesville

United Methodsit (sic) Church (2 copies); Faith under Construction, 1977-2002 (2

copies); Bell Tower Project History, c.2009; line drawing of JUMC by M. Howarth,

1990.

Folder 2: Celebrations: Reopening of The Jonesville Methodist Episcopal Church,

January Second, 1899 (Donor: Linda Sanders, Town Historian of Stillwater); Christmas

Souvenir, 1908 (2 copies); Jonesville Methodist Episcopal Church, 1826-1926; Ninety-

Fifth Anniversary of the Jonesville, N. Y. Methodist Episcopal Church, 1921; 50th

Anniversary, Annual Old Fashioned “Stone” Clambake, 1950; Jonesville Methodist

Church 125th

Anniversary, 1826- 1951 (2 copies); Building to Serve, Building Fund

Campaign, June 8-15, 1958; Service of Consecration, June 7, 1959.

Folder 3: Church Directories:1985, 1989, 1992, 1995, 1998-9, 2002, 2006 (Donated by

Gail Winters)

this collection). There is much useful and interesting material in this binder re: the history of the

McLane family, the hotel and Rexford Flats. The material is separated into folders by topics for:

Folder 1: Erie Canal, Amusement Park, McLane’s Hotel, Bills, Beverages,

Cigars/Cigarettes, Shipping, Sales Catalogs, Politics.

Folder 2: Advertisements/Supplies and Rexford Schools

Folder 3: Fire Dept., John McLane Hose Co.

Folder 4: Rexford Village, 20th

Century People and Places

Folder 5: McLane Family

Boxes 3-7: Financial Record Books:

The financial record books include accounts with individuals and businesses for purchases of

goods and services by the hotel, for room rent and for room and board at the hotel (possibly for

canalers). There are also accounts for purchases and sales of beer, apples and cider, ice and for

foodstuffs for the tavern at the hotel and for sale by John McLane. Many of the books are

indexed by name of account. The books are in fair to poor condition with some broken bindings

and a few with water damage or staining.

The record books date from:

Box 3: 1895-1896; 1897; 1900-1901; 1904, 1906-1908

Box 4: 1905-1906

Box 5: 1906-1909; 1908 (Includes only a few accounts in a mainly blank Schenectady

Locomotive Works order book); 1908 (chiefly for apples and cider)

1908; 1909 (many purchases of ice)

Box 6: 1911; 1912; 1913 (This book has several loose bills and receipts, including bill cards

from the Schenectady Illuminating Company); 1913 (2 Order books for this year)

Box 7: 1914-1915; 1916 (3 Order books for this year); 1920-1924; Undated ledger (ca.

1915?) Also, includes inventories of hotel artifacts and objects sold to antique dealers and others

in 1962-1963. The hotel was about 1962. The State of New York bought the hotel and

demolished it in 1964 as the property was needed for a bridge approach.

Artifacts

Folder 1: 2 tokens: McLanes Hotel, Rexford, NY, Good for 10c drinks

James Corsaro

Archivist

MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTION

This collection contains a variety of items that have been donated to the Clifton Park Collection from various donors. Folder 1: Record of Canal Boat Tolls for 3 boats, including that paid by E. Brown (?), Master of the Erie Canal boat Tory, of Dresden, 1861. One entry specifies “Mdse” from Albany to Vischer Ferry. The two other entries are from 1863 and 1864. Donor: Unknown. Folder 2: 1 Letter on letterhead: A. E. Woodward Italian Bees, Honey and Beeswax, Grooms Corners, Saratoga Co., N. Y., May 28, 1888, advertising the availability of beeswax. The envelope is addressed to J. I. Parent, Charlton, NY and is postmarked May 29, Grooms Corners, N. Y. Donor: Lynn Calvin (Donation letter and business card included.) Folder 3: Record book of Urias Dater, 1865-1869. Contains lists of items such as Produce, Apples, Stock, Sheep and Wool, and Potatoes, accounts of residents such as George Adams, and lists such as “Amount of Coal Drawn, 1873” and “Charlie Weeks by Labor.” Form from First National Bank, Mechanicville, N. Y. for Urias Dater for payment of a note, Nov. 1, 1893. Also, receipt for payment of I. L. Taylor and Co., Custom Millers and Sawyers, Crescent, N. Y. from Wllm. (?) H. Filkins, Nov. 12, 1897. Donors: Julia and Erik Roy. “From the home of Katherine (Flickinger) Dockstader and Clayton Dockstader.” Folder 4: Dr. MacElroy, 1872-1954, practiced medicine in Jonesville from 1894 until 1954. He was also health officer for the Town of Jonesville for 40 years and school physician for the Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Central School District for 19 years. Christmas card sent by Dr. MacElroy in 1934, with “1894,” “1934’” and a photo of the Doctor seated at his desk. Newspaper clipping of detailed obituary marked 1954. Donor: Adella Harris. Folder 5. Stencil Photographs: 3 photographs of stencils from the front, east room of the Gould house on Riverview Road, Vischer Ferry. The home is the “3d house east of the church, “(Amity Church). “Room once used for school” written on back one photo. “House is on the west side of Harmon Van Vranken house” on donation envelope. Donor: Unknown. Folder 6: Clifton Knolls Club House Menus, c. 1965-1970. Menu, Clifton Knolls Clubhouse Dining Room; Wine List, The Bull Room; Lunch Menu, The Bull Room; The Sunset Happy Hour Bar guide; folder, Clifton Knolls Club House; donation letter with Plank Road Centre, the Park Plaza letterhead. Donor: Robert L. Phillips Folder 7: Indenture for land leased in Halfmoon, NY, 1808. This agreement is between Isaac Garnsey and Samuel Brewster, both of Halfmoon. Other names referenced include Isaac Reynolds, Nathan Garnsey, Hugh Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, Campbell Kennedy, and Thomas Huntington. Donor: Frederick Talasco (donation letter included).

Folder 8: Proceedings of the Board of Supervisors, County of Saratoga, 1852, 1854, 1855, and 1876. 1852, 1854, and 1855 are reprints from the 1970’s. Donor: Of 1852, 1854, and 1855: Arthur E. Eggleston, Historian, Town of Corinth Folder 9: Writing Book belonging to Ellen Dunsmore, 1850. This “Writing Book sold by S. R. Gray, Bookseller and Stationer” of Albany, was used to practice penmanship. Folder 10: Wedding Invitations. Invitations are to the weddings of Callie R. Peck and Irving A. Button, 1883; Jennie E. Clark and Gilbert J. Brown, 1887; and Maggie Ella Fonda and Charlie Silvernail, 1893. Donor: Ruth Kelin and Marjorie Shaw Folder 11: Remembering Ed Klingbeil DVD and Audio-Tape of event, “Remembering Ed Klingbeil,” Dec. 7, 2007, Groom’s Tavern. Also, “My Recollections of Ed Klingbeil,” by Fred Stevens. Donor: Ernest Haffner Folder 12: Section of Photograph Album, c. 1900. Mounted photographs, including those of Grooms Methodist Church and Vischer’s or Fort’s Ferry Donor: Holly Somerville and Marilyn Sysol Folder 13: The Old Homestead stationery, c. 1920. Letterhead stationery, The Old Homestead, James M. Adsit & Sons, Proprietors, Waterford, NY. Donor: Terrence Adsit (Donation letter included.) Folder 14: Life on the Sunny Side, by Jennie M. Quivery Autobiographical essay, including description of the headless rooster on her father’s Burnt Hills farm. Includes photograph of the Quivey Homestead; extract from Dec. 15, 1905 Union Star article about the headless rooster with photo; extract of Dec. 18, 1915 article on the same subject; and Feb. 3, 1938 letter from Dr. J. R. MacElroy, Birch Brae Farms, Jonesville, NY, on that subject . Folder 15: Country Knolls Floor Plans and Sample Photo Book Sample photo book has 9 color photos of homes and scenes in Country Knolls and the business card of Art Mabeus, Clifton Enterprises, Inc. in Elnora, NY. Xerox copies are of a 2-page pamphlet, “Clifton & Country Knolls, Quality Homes for Gracious Living,” plot plans for properties in Clifton Knolls and Country Knolls, and floor plans for standard homes in these developments. Donor: Barbara Meehan, 8 Hearthside Drive, Ballston Lake

Box 2: Oversize Folder 1: Inquiry regarding Reverend John McKelvy. Photographs of four pages of a handwritten account of an inquiry, held in “The Church of Amity” on August 7, 1828, as to whether Rev. McKelvy was seen drunk on the preceding June 6th. Donor: Unknown. Folder 2: Will of John Terpening, Halfmoon, August 15, 1803. Donor: Clifton Park-Halfmoon Public Library

Niskayuna Reformed Church

Histories

History: Although the exact date of the organization of the Reformed Protestant Dutch

Church of Canistiauna is unknown, it is likely that it was begun about 1750. No records

exist of the first small “Prayer House,” except that it was located on the site of a second

building, constructed about 1760. The first church on the present site on the Troy Road

was dedicated on March 6th

, 1829.

Scope: This collection consists of a history of the church to 1966, A Serving People, with

Two pamphlets date from 1951 and 1956.

Donor: Howard I. Becker

Size: One folder

Contents:

Folder 1: Histories of the Niskayuna Reformed Church as follows:

1. Spiral-bound book: A Serving People, A History of the Niskayuna Reformed

Church, 3041 Troy Road, Schenectady, New York, Pastors, Ref. Douglas A.

Walrath, Rev. John R. Grooters, by Elizabeth D. Shaver, Church Historian. 1966.

148 p. map, illus, bibliography. Following a General History, important events in

the life of the church are listed in chronological order.

2. Niskayuna Reformed Church, Stop Twenty-One Troy Road, Schenectady, NY,

Reverend William H.l Coons, Pastor. [1951?] Unpaged pamphlet, illus. Contains

list of pastors, 1760-1951; Consistories in 1790, 1900 and 1951; Consistory

members 1900-1951; names of officers of church organizations in year of their

founding and in 1951.

3. Dedication Service for the Enlarged and Remodeled Church House of The

Niskayuna Reformed Church, the Rev. William H. Coons, Pastor, Sunday, May 6,

1956. Bulletin. 8p, illus.

Gail Winters

Librarian

Pearse-Painter Family, Forts Ferry, NY

Property Records History: The Pearse family members were early settlers in the Town of Clifton Park. Jacob Pearse is listed on the 1723 Census of Albany County. There was a Jacob Pearse living at Forts Ferry in the 18th century and there are Pierce families shown on the map of the town in the Saratoga County atlas, 1866 and other maps of the area. Scope: This is a collection of deeds, wills, tax records, correspondence and other papers all related to the property of the Pearse-Painter family in Clifton Park at Forts Ferry. The Pearse property deeds begin in 1706 and end in 1896. There are early deeds in the collection, but the deeds are in need of repair; most are in pieces or have folded and have tears and many folds. Size: 1 box, 1 lin. ft. Donor: Donated by Douglas V. Smith, who was the owner of the Pearse-Painter home and purchased the home from Everett Painter about 1968. Contents: Box 1: Folder 1: One page of genealogy notes on the family and descendants of Jacob Pearse and Jannetie, early settler at Forts Ferry. Folder 2: Transport (deed) of property on the north side of the Maquaes (Mohawk) River from Ryer Schermerhorn to Maes Ryksen, Sept. 10, 1706. Folder 3: Deed of property on the north side of the Maquaes (Mohawk) River to Maes Rykse van Franke, Jan. 15, 1713. Folder 4: Deed of property in the Schenandahoi or Clifton Park Patent, from Abraham Hun of Albany to Jacobus Parce, of Town of Halfmoon, April 25,, 1795. Folder 5: Deed of property from Dirk A. Bratt and David Van Der Hyden and Gertrudt, his wife to Jacobus Pearse of the Town of Halfmoon in the Nistijuna Patent in the Town of Halfmoon, Sept. 1, 1807. Folder 6: Deed of property from Abraham Pearse of the Town of Halfmoon to John Pearse, Jr. of the same place, in the Clifton Park Patent, at Forts Ferry, Nov. 18, 1813.

Folder 7: Articles of Agreement between John Pearse, Jr. and Eldert Van Vranken to build a road, Sept. 8, 1818; road to be 9 feet wide and run along the Mohawk River beginning at the “Publick Road.” Folder 8: Deed from John Pearse and Mary Josephine Pearse, his wife, of Hoosick Falls to Tunis C. Pearse of the Town of Clifton Park of land at Forts Ferry, April 7, 1886. Folder 9: Deed for property at Forts Ferry?, in Clifton Park from Louisa E. and James S. Clute of Cohoes, executors of the estate of Nicholas J. Clute to Tunis C. Pearse of Clifton Park, April 1, 1896. Folder 10: Two wills as follows: Jacobus Pearse of Town of Halfmoon, April 3 1812; notes Maria, wife, sons John, Abraham, Jacob, daughter Rachel. James Pearse of Town of Clifton Park, June 29, 1872, mentions wife Gertrude and sons John, Tunis C., Sebastian C., and James Jr. and daughter Harriet A. Cary. Folder 11: Papers, 1914, 1959-60, related to permits for use of canal lands between the NYS Dept. of Public Works and the Pearse and Painter families. Folder 12: Papers, 1961-62, between Niagara Mohawk Power Corp. and Everett S. Painter related to Niagara Mohawk purchase of lands for right of way. Also, a deposition of Grace E. Painter, 1961 re: estate of Tunis C. Pearse. Folder 13: Tax receipts of Everett S.Painter, 1955-1964. James Corsaro Archivist

Peck Family

Papers History: Dr. Elizabeth Peck was born in 1912 and died in 2008 and lived her entire life in Clifton Park. She was physician for over a half century in the town. Her parents were Guy and Mary Peck. Both of her parents served as Town Clerks for Clifton Park. Dr. Peck was married to Dr. Philip Greene, who was the physician for Shenendehowa schools for many years. Dr. Peck had an avid interest in family genealogy and local history and collected a good deal of material of local historical interest. Scope: The collection has correspondence and other papers of the Schauber family, Civil War related papers of the Baldwin family, letters to Harold N. Hackett, a prominent engineer, on his retirement from General Electric, papers of the Mielke family of Waterford, NY, several publications, newspaper clippings, photographs of local people and places, a large number of bills and receipts of Dr. Buel Latcher of Yonkers, NY. The collection has material dated from about 1860 to the 2000. Size: 4 boxes, 4.5 linear feet Donor: Dr. Elizabeth Peck Greene Contents: Box 1: Folder 1: Genealogical information about three families, including: the Peck, Schauber and Close families. Folder 2: Schauber family correspondence, including Bailey family . This correspondence includes letters from Jane Schauber to (her sister?) and others to Esther S(chauber) Bailey, who was living in Ogle County, IL, 1870-1876; letters to Mary Schauber; letters to Aunt Eltie?, 1873; letters to Isaac C. Schauber, n.d., and1862; letter to ? Schauber, 1864 and letter to Mary Ogg from brother Henry, Interlaken, Switzerland, 1869; letter ( partial only) to David Schauber from his son, 1831; bill to Mr. Schauber from Howland S. Barney & Co., Schenectady, NY for dry goods, 1861.Photographs of Mary Elizabeth Schauber, Mary E. Ogg, and the Schauber family home at Ballston. Folder 3: Baldwin family papers, incl.: Charles P. Baldwin’s discharge from Army, 1864 and 1865 and pension letters to Phebe Baldwin, 1912 and 1919

Folder 4: Letters to Mr. and Mrs. Guy Peck from Rev. C.K. and Mrs. Osborn in Anadarko, OK, 1956; poem, “The Deerslayer,” by Irv. to his hunting partner, Philip Greene. Folder 5: Photographs as follows: Dr. Strang at Grooms Corners, ca. 1911, portraits of Enoch Lavers, Round Lake, NY, Mrs. Louis Nashk, Guy F. Cranford, Rose Palkover, Yowkler family, postcard photos of Shenendehowa Central School and Grant Cottage and color photo of unidentified man, 1998. Also, sympathy card, obituary and photo of Enoch Lavers, 1932. Folder 6: Newspaper clippings, probably collected by Elizabeth Peck, about a variety of topics, including news of Clifton Park people and events and local history. Folder 7: Miscellaneous material including: Cancelled checks and bank statement of George Huff from Hudson, NY bank, 1927 Miscellaneous papers of Arlington Seeley, Troy, NY 1940 Receipt, 1769, for pew rent at St. George’s Church to David Soper Letter to J.R. Jump, Overseer of the Poor, Elnora, NY 1919 Receipts from Joshua Anthony, Clifton Park, NY 1896 Poem by Margaret E. Sangster, A Vesper Song, n.d. Memorial poem, She Mothered Five, memory of Jean Rankin Long, 1885-1955 Minutes of meeting of school Dist. #6, Clifton Park, 1941 Address of Dr. W.E. Peterson at A.B.A. annual meeting, 1958 (about dairy farming) Birch Brae Farms, Jonesville, NY, memoir (2 p.) by Jennie Quivey, Scotia, NY Photocopy of a hand-drawn map of part of Clifton Park. Box 2: The following folders 1-4 contain letters, telegrams, newsclippings, and other items all related to the career and in particular the retirement and retirement party of Harold N. Hackett. Hackett was a an engineer with General Electric for nearly 40 years and was a pioneer in the construction of atomic power facilities and the mercury-steam power plant. He was the manager of construction at the Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory, worked on the design of the power plant of the Seawolf submarine and worked for several decades innovating the development of the mercury-steam power plants. The material in these folders was removed from a scrapbook and the original scrapbook is found in the oversize box of this collection. Folder 1: Biographical and other material about H. N. Hackett, incl.: biographical resumes, his agreement with GE concerning ownership of patents, 1925, the original patent for improvement of mercury boilers, 1935, a GE publication about the story of Mercury-Steam, fifty year membership certificates of Hackett in Masons and Order of Eastern Star (in oversize box), two copies of program for his retirement dinner, Feb. 1, 1956 and other items. Folder 2: Letters of congratulations to H.N. Hackett on his retirement, 1956, with a few other letters from later years about other matters.

Folder 3: Photographs, incl.: photos of Hackett’s retirement dinner, 1956, a photo of the Seawolf, photo of Mt. Mckinley, family photos, chiefly of Gladys Rouen Hackett (Mrs. H.N. Hackett) and one photo of their 50th Anniversary. Folder 4: Newspaper clippings, of H.N. Hackett’s retirement, obituaries and retirement notices of others, chiefly G.E. engineers, ca. 1956-1989. Folders 5-7: These two folders contain bills and receipts for goods and services, ca. 1900-1915, paid for by Dr. Buel Latcher of Yonkers, NY and High Falls, NY. Dr. Latcher was born in Edinburgh, NY ca. 1876 and was married to Elizabeth A. ?. The bills and receipts appear to be for both his medical practice as well as for personal and home expenses. No family connection to Dr. Elizabeth Peck Greene was found. Folder 8: Correspondence, 1915-1934 of Mrs. Benedict M. Wisner, a clerk in various federal government offices, Washington, DC, with those offices regarding her employment and her record of absence cards for various years, 1922-1933. No family connection to Dr. Elizabeth Peck Greene was found. Folders 9-10: Papers and photographs of the John Mielke family of Waterford, NY, incl.: naturalization certificate of Margarethe Elfriede Mielke, 1946, certificate of marriage of John Mielke and Margaret Specht, Bronx, NY, 1942, obituary and funeral papers of John Mielke, 1895-1969, and photographs of the Mielke family, taken mainly in Germany and New York City. The photographs are of unidentified people, although several photos are of one couple, which may be Mr. and Mrs. Mielke. Mielke was born in Germany and owned the Crescent Diner from about 1961-1969. He lived most of his life in Babylon, Long Is., NY. No family connection to Dr. Elizabeth Peck Greene was found. Box 3: Publications: This box contains miscellaneous printed items found in the collection. Included in this series are: Env. 1: Chime of Bells, Miss Emma A. Lent, Albany, 1883; with a poem titled Arbor Hill, about the Clifton Park Center Baptist Cemetery Env. 2: Golden Jubilee of the City Charter of Mechanicville, NY, 1915-1965

The Grist Mill,…Journal of the Saratoga County Museum, A Teachers’ Bibliography of Saratoga County History, Margaret Coffin, 1985; also issue for 1986.

The Echo, Oneonta High School, 1930 (school news magazine) Env. 3: Three catalogs: Adult Continuing Education at Shenendehowa Central Schools, 1976; history book catalogs of Harbor Hill Books, 1979 and R.O’Hare, Burnt Hills, NY Env. 4: Ladies’ Indispensable Assistant, New York, 1851, only title and pages1-16 Env. 5: School graduation commencement announcements for Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake and Clifton Park schools, 1925-1930 and same for Easton, (PA) High School, 1900 Folder 1: Time Magazine, Jan. 23, 1950 with story about Alice Nash Folder 2: Clothes That Worked in Saratoga, 1790-1820 and Proposed…Town of Clifton Park Sewer System,1970

Folder 3: Letters Gold Rush Days ’49, transcribed by Howard Becker, 1957 Folder 4: Miscellaneous publications of the Clifton Park Center Baptist Church, Burnt Hills Baptist Church and other Baptist churches, including bulletins, programs, clippings, etc. The following are a few of the items: Bicentennial of Clifton Park Center Baptist Church, 1794-1994, a brief history of the church; also two worship bulletins, 1994; Abijah Peck was the first pastor of this church.

All Saints Episcopal, Round Lake, NY, Concert…Commemorating the Round Lake Centennial, 1868-1968

First Baptist Church, Hamilton, NY Historical Sketch, 1796-1961, by Howard D. Williams Folder 5: Miscellaneous bulletins, clippings and other printed items of various churches including the Burnt Hills Methodist Church and two issues of The Civic Bulletin of the Christian Civic League, Albany, NY Folder 6: Newspaper clippings of obituaries and wedding announcements, mainly ca. 2006-2007 with a few earlier. Folder 7: Two typewritten memoirs (Life on the Sunny Side and The Twilight Years) of Jennie M. Quivey of Burnt Hills, NY, 1986 and 1987 Folder 8: Miscellaneous items, including a 2002 issue of the Grooms Tavern Gazette, flyers of the Schenectady Bird Club, Folders 9-10: Financial Diaries (2) Folder 9: A ledger of accounts of fabric which seems to have been kept by William Barker, West Troy, NY, ca. 1873-1884 Folder 10: A “Wanamaker Diary” for 1919 of household expenses for a household in southeastern Pennsylvania Box 4: Town Government Records Register of Voters, 1st E.D. of the 1st Assembly Dist., Town of Clifton Park, Ellsworth Smith, Jr., 1930 includes name of voter, residence, date of registration. Election Poll Book, 1st Dist., Town of Clifton Park, NY 1907, incl. names of voters, residence. Election Poll Book, 2nd E.D., Town of Clifton Park, 1910 Assessment Books of the Ballston Lake Dist. #2 (?) for Sept. 1936, April 1937 and Oct. 1938 Newspapers: Ballston Journal, issues for 1976, incl.: Jan. 28, March 24, June 23, June 30, July 7 issues that all have articles re: to the American Revolution Bicentennial. Scrapbook, empty, formerly held documents about H. N. Hackett now in Box.

Cyrus W. Rexford

Papers History: Cyrus W. Rexford (1819-1900) was a descendant of one of the founder of Rexford Flats and became a prominent citizen of the village over many years. He was the largest landowner in the Rexford Flats, a farmer for many years and later a merchant there. He was also the owner of the Rexford Flats Hotel and owner of several tenement houses in the village. He also operated a canal boat line that ran from Schenectady to New York City carrying grain and other products. He was the major owner of the Rexford Flats Bridge Company. He was a Republican, was active in recruiting soldiers during Civil War, served as Town Supervisor and as Justice of the Peace. He was married to Hannah M. Haliston of Clifton Park and they had five children; Oscar, Jennie A., Cyrus W., Fannie and LeGrand, who was a partner with his father in the Rexford & Son store. Scope: This collection is concerned with the Rexford family, particularly Cyrus W. Rexford, and the family’s property and businesses at Rexford Flats, NY. There is a small amount of biographical material about Cyrus W. Rexford, a large quantity of documentation concerning the settlement of his estate by his son, LeGrand Rexford, many deeds, mortgages and other land records of the family, land and legal records of the Rexford Flats Knitting Co. and the Rexford Flats Bridge Co., both of which the Rexford family were primary owners. Some correspondence of Cyrus W. Rexford and some letters of Eleazer A. Rexford from California is also found in the collection. Size: 1 box, 1 lin.ft. Donor: This collection was donated by Julie Sproat. Contents: Biographical Material: Folder 1: Biographical material about C.W. Rexford, incl.: a draft biographical sketch from Gresham Publishing Co. and a letter to Rexford about Rexford genealogy from an unknown person in Jamesville, Wis., 1882. Folder 2: Will of Alonzo L. Rexford, 1857 (brother of C.W. Rexford). Folder 3: Will of Cyrus W. Rexford, three copies: handwritten will signed by Rexford , March 12, 1892 and 2 typed copies, Oct. 1900.

Folder 3A: Papers of Eleazer A. Rexford, C.W. Rexford’s brother, incl.. two letters from him from Petaluma, CA, 1862 and 1864, and two letters from S. Collins to C.W. and E.A. Rexford, 1866 requesting that a debt owed by E.A. Rexford to F.W.Collins in Petaluma be paid; also document giving C.W. Rexford power of attorney for E.A. Rexford, 1858. List of items bought by C.W. Rexford at estate sale of E.A. Rexford. Also, notification and transcript from a lawsuit of Mary M. Rexford, widow of E.A. Rexford v. C.W. Rexford, 1871. Business and Legal Papers of C.W. Rexford, Rexford Family and others: Folder 4: Rexford Flats Bridge Company: Mortgage of the company with J.A. De Renner and W.T.L. Sanders, 1885. Also, affidavit and report (2 cop.) of the lawsuit, Emmor J. Caldwell v. Rexford Flats Bridge Co. and LeGrand Rexford as executor of the C.W. Rexford estate, Supreme Court, Saratoga Co., 1901. Folder 5: Rexford Flats Knitting Company: letters, 1897 and minutes of meeting of Board of Directors, 1897; mortgage with Stephen Medberry, 1888 and draft of agreement between C.W. Rexford and the company, 1888. Also, a deed of C.W. Rexford and his wife, Hannah, to the Rexford Flats Knitting Co., 1888. Folder 6: Deed of LeGrand Rexford and Electric Milk Co., 1905, Incandescent and Arc contract of L.Rexford and Schenectady Railway Co., 1903, subscription list for payment of electric lights for one year for church?, miscellaneous material re: to electric contracts. Folder 7: Deeds (2), bond and mortgage of the Redmens Association of Rexford Flats, with John McLane and others, 1902, 1905, 1907; also minutes of meeting of Association, 1907. Folder 8: Deeds, bond, mortgage, release of the Mohawk Lodge, No. 55 of Independent Order of Good Templars with various persons, 1891-95, 1901. Folder 9: Legal papers related to a case of Jemima Rexford (widow of Eleazer Rexford) and others making a claim for relief because of appropriation of lands of the family for the Erie Canal, 1851-1855, 1885. Includes a printed copy of the opinion in the case of the NYS Court of Appeals, 1854 and a release of the Canal Board to Jemima Rexford, 1856, that has a detailed map of the canal, locks and adjoining lands involved in the case. Also, statement of the amount of the award granted to Jemima Rexford and others for lands appropriated by the state canal dept., 1844. Folder 10: File of legal papers related to a claim in the NYS Court of Claims of Cyrus W. Rexford and his heirs for damages by the state in filling in a basin on the canal that has caused damage to the Rexford property, 1896-1901. Includes a copy of the Stenographer’s Minutes of the case, Albany, Jan. 19,1900 Cyrus W. Rexford Estate Papers: Folder 11: Deeds to cemetery lots for Jemima Rexford, Greenridge Cemetery, Saratoga Springs, NY, 1857 and Cyrus W. Rexford, Vale Cemetery, Schenectady, NY, 1868.

Folders 12-15: Estate Papers of Cyrus W. Rexford. The executor of the estate was LeGrand Rexford and the papers date from 1900-1908. There are correspondence, cancelled checks, petitions, citations, executor’s accounts, decrees, inventories of the estate’s assets and property (F.15), and other material. Miscellaneous Papers: Folder 16: Accounts of settlement of the O.D. Rexford, grocer in Schenectady, NY, 1880. Including list of goods probably purchased at auction sale of the Rexford grocery by C.W. Rexford, Sept. 17, 1880. Folder 17: LeGrand Rexford business papers, chiefly with the Schenectady Railway Co., 1903-04, including map of the Rexford, Veeder and Travis properties at Rexford Flats, 1903 and a map of the property of Rexford, Travis, Hunt, and Veeder, Rexford Flats, 1904.. Also two letters, 1916, regarding stock in the Morris Plan Co. of Schenectady. Folder 18: Land records of LeGrand Rexford with John McLane, Rexford Flats, NY, 105, 1907, 1918. Folder 19: Letters to Cyrus W. Rexford, 1866-1899. Folder 20: Deeds and mortgages of various people, 1844-1893, chiefly others than C.W. Rexford and mainly concerning lands at Rexford Flats and adjacent lands. Folder 21: Miscellaneous material, incl. clippings re: the Schenectady City Bank, some receipts, used envelopes, and other items. James Corsaro Archivist

William Scanlon Collection History: This collection of material is from the Scanlon family from the decade of the Forties and the Peck family who lived in the same homestead that the Scanlon family later occupied. Scope: Correspondence, land records, war ration books and tax receipts. The correspondence is of the Peck family of Grooms Corners, NY and the other material is from Scanlon family. Size: 1 box, ½ lin.ft. Donor: William Scanlon, 2010 Contents: Folder 1-3: Papers related to the Peck family found at King Crest Farm, Grooms Corners Folder 1: Letters of Campbell K. Peck to his mother, Nancy (Mrs. Nathan K. Peck) written from Hamilton College, when he was about 17-18 years old, 1848-1849; also tuition bill for Peck from Jonesville Academy, April 1847 Folder 2: Letters of Nathan Garnsey Peck and his mother and to Nathan from unknown and D.A. Peck to his Aunt, n.d., 1844-1848 and miscellaneous scraps, including a list of candidates at an election. Folder 3: Scraps of fabric found at King Crest Farm. Folder 4: Property search and description of property of Newman E. and Barbara Adsit, at Grooms Corners; Deed of William Scanlon and Arcelia Scanlon to William Scanlon, Jr., Clifton Park, NY, 1939. Folder 5: Receipts for state, county, town and school taxes for Wm. Scanlon, 1946-1948 and Porter Hennett?, 1928; also War Ration Books, 1943, of Barbara, William and Marian Scanlon; a memorial card of Wicks Rosell, n.d. James Corsaro Archivist

Ordie H. and Rose Shippee

Collection History: Ordie H. Shippee was born 1882 in Vischer Ferry, married Rose Dunham and the couple had two sons (Lathrop and Roy) and a daughter (Isabella). Ordie Shippee owned a Shippee’s General Store in Rexford for many years after taking it over from his father Jesse Shippee, was an Overseer of the Stoney Creek Reservoir, was active in the local Republican Party in Clifton Park, and served as party committeeman and a town councilman. He was a Charter Member of the Vischer Ferry Fire Company. He died in 1982. Rose Dunham was born 1906 in New York City but attended school and grew up in Clifton Park Scope: This collection includes correspondence, diaries, business records of a general store in Rexford, NY, many family photographs of the Shippee family, newspaper clippings of obituaries and Clifton Park/Vischer Ferry news, diaries that enumerate some of the work on Stoney Creek Reservoir done by Ordie Shippee, many invitations and announcements of weddings and births and personal financial records of the Shippee family, particularly tax returns and receipts. Size: 3 boxes, 3 lin. ft. Donor: Shippee family Contents: Box 1: Folder 1: Biographical Papers of Ordie H. and Rose Dunham Shippee Family, incl.: birth certificates of Rose Dunham, obituary and memorial card for Ordie Shippee, certificates of satisfactory passing of school exams of Rose Dunham in Clifton Park. Memorial book for funeral of Sarah C. Shippee, 1862-1955 (Ordie’s mother) and an obituary of Jesse Shippee, 1855-1951 (Ordie’s father) Folder 2: Letters and postcards to Rose and Ordie Shippee, 1918-1986, mainly from 1943 about family events, etc. Folder 3: Political/governmental papers of Ordie Shippee, incl.: election results, 1955; letter from Town of Colonie keeping Shippee as an Overseer at Reservoir; maps of highway system in Clifton Park, 1940 and 1955 and several sheets of Town of Clifton Park letterhead with Shippee listed as Councilman. Also, campaign cards (many copies) for Shippee running for Councilman in Clifton Park, and single cards for Edward T. Bradt and Martin L. Jewett running for

Supervisor. Also, printed land boundary description of Interstate Route #502, Latham-Clifton Park Section re: to Stoney Creek Reservoir. Folder 4: Bills and other papers of Ordie H. Shippee, including of his general store business. Included in this group are blank copies of the general store bill; business certificate, 1945, of Shippee and Edwards, successor to business owned by Ordie Shippee; insurance policies, bills for 1938 and 1948 Oldsmobiles purchased by Shippee and other papers. Also, the will of Clara M. Cooper, Amsterdam, NY 1955 Folder 5: Federal and state income tax returns and receipts of payment for county and town taxes for Ordie and Rose Shippee, ca. 1940-1960. Folder 6: Newsclippings of obituraries and wedding announcements. Folder 7: Invitation and announcement cards sent to the Shippees. Folder 8: Publications, as follows: List of Enrolled Voters of the Town of Clifton Park…1958-1959

Constitution and By-Laws of the Eagle Crest Rebekah Lodge, No. 367, I.O.O.F., Batchellerville, NY, 1908

Directory of the Towns of Clifton Park and Halfmoon…1957? U.S. Govt., How to Obtain Birth Certificates, 1956 Webster (Pocket) Dictionary, 1914 belonged to Rose Dunham, Vischer Ferry, missing cover/title page; Identification page includes personal information about Rose Dunham Box 2: Diaries: Diary of Rose Shippee, 1988 (entries, many brief, until August 9), family news, weather, etc. Diary of Ordie Shippee, 1955, weather, news of work, especially on dam at Reservoir Diary of Ordie Shippee, 1953, (July to Dec. 1953 entries) about his job at Stoney Creek Reservoir Account book of Ordie’s store and personal affairs, 1947-1955 Ledger of Ordie Shippee, 1922 (personal expenses/income) and general store ledger accounts, 1941 Scrapbook of clippings about recipes, baby announcements, invitations to showers, obituaries, clippings about men and women in armed services in World War II, story about Jesse and Sarah Shippee 66th Anniversary in 1947. Folder of miscellaneous newspaper clippings.

Miscellaneous artifacts, incl.: Pencils (2) from campaign of Douglas Hudson running for State Senate, envelope with date of Aug. 27, 1981 of clip of unidentified person’s hair and two cards; napkins from various anniversary dinners. Fifieth Anniversary book of Ordie and Rose Shippee, June 11, 1977, with list of attendees, in original box. Box 3: Photographs (need sleeving) Oversize photograph of an unidentified family on steps of a front porch, ca. 1900. Photographs of 50th Wedding Anniversary of Rose and Ordie Shippee Photographs of another anniversary of the Shippees Miscellaneous photographs James Corsaro Archivist

Florence Dunham Sims Scrapbooks

History: This is a collection of material collected by Florence Hull Dunham Sims about variety of topics, chiefly the Amity Reformed Church and local history, particularly of Vischer Ferry, NY. Florence Sims was born in 1904 and died in Rexford, NY in 2001. Scope: This collection consists of 2 scrapbooks and a few folders of clippings, pamphlets, some photographs and miscellaneous other material related to the history of the Amity Reformed Church and Vischer Ferry, NY. There are clippings of obituaries, mainly of deceased from Vischer Ferry and Clifton Park, NY. The two scrapbooks are the “magnetic,” type and the material is adhered so firmly to the pages that to attempt to remove the material will probably destroy it. Therefore, the best solution would be to photocopy or scan the pages in these scrapbooks to preserve the information. There are several group photos in the scrapbook with identifying labels that need to be removed along with their labeling and stored in photographic sleeves. Size: 1 lin. ft., 1 box Donor: Florence D. Sims Contents: Scrapbook #1: This scrapbook is a “magnetic” scrapbook with sticky pages. The material in the scrapbook is adhered and cannot be removed without, in most case, destroying the material. Most of the contents is newspaper clippings. The content of the clippings is chiefly related to local history in the Capital District region, rather than only in the Town of Clifton Park and includes articles about the Erie Canal, Fox Hollow music festival, Joseph Hidley, a painter from Poestenkill, and so forth. There are also several clippings of obituaries; the dates of this scrapbook are ca. 1970-1984. Scrapbook #2: This scrapbook is a “magnetic” scrapbook with sticky pages. The material in the scrapbook is adhered and cannot be removed without, in most case, destroying the material. This scrapbook is chiefly devoted to the Amity Reformed Church, Vischer Ferry, NY. There are clippings about and church programs from the Amity Reformed Church. There are also 16, mainly group photos, of groups at the church or of church groups with labeling identifying all in the photos. There many obituaries, mainly of deceased from Vischer Ferry. Folder 1: Newspaper clippings, some pasted on boards from a “magnetic” scrapbook, with clippings about local history of Vischer Ferry and other localities, obituaries and miscellaneous topics.

Folder 2: Issues of the newsletter of the Vischer Ferry Association, 1980, 1984 with some local history articles by John Scherer. Folder 3: Amity Reformed Church material, including, directories of the church for 1980-81 and 1985, history of the church in a Sesquicentennial pamphlet, a leaflet about the church, a postcard photo of the altar of the church, miscellaneous papers about the church, 1986-87. Folder 4: Photographs (6) of groups of people with one group identified, photo of a house, postcard photo of an unidentified group. Folder 5: Material about the history of Vischer Ferry, NY, including: V.F. Canal Days, ’88 pamphlet for a house tour of the village in May 1988; Beautiful Vischer Ferry, an illustrated souvenir guide to the village, n.d., (ca. 1920?). Also, two sheets of Avery labels with portrait bookplate of Florence Sims. James Corsaro Archivist

George H. Smith

Collection History: George H. Smith was a carpenter and grocer in Vischer Ferry and served a Commissioner of Highways. He was a Republican and was possibly a Mason. His son, George F. Smith was an owner of the Vischer Ferry Hotel and his grandson Douglas Smith, the donor of this collection, was active in historical organizations and activities in Saratoga County. Scope: Four ledgers and one check register of a general store in Vischer Ferry, pocket account/cash /day books of the store and personal affairs of Geo. H. Smith and others and diary of Geo. H. Smith as well as other papers of the Smith and his family. The owner of the store is not identified, but appears to have been George H. Smith. Two of the ledgers give little information beyond the name of the persons transacting business, but two of the ledgers provide not only the name of the persons, but what goods and food they purchased. Size: 3 linear feet, 3 boxes Donor: Douglas Smith, 1983, 1985. Contents: Ledger Books: This is a series of 4 ledger books of a general store in Vischer Ferry, NY and owned by George H. Smith. Box 1: Ledger Book #1: Includes surnames, date of transaction, what transacted (almost listed as Mdse. or Cash) and amount of money transacted. Includes an index of surnames many of them residents of Vischer Ferry (e.g. Clute, Reformed Church, Clifton Park Tele. Co., Fort, Groat, Lansing, Knowlton, Pearse, Van Vranken, Vischer.); ca. 1903-1907. Ledger Book #2: General store in Vischer Ferry, (same handwriting as in ledger #1) with names of customers, what they purchased (e.g. food of all kinds, saw blade, lampblack, white lead paint, etc.) and price. No name index; March-Dec. 1907. Box 2: Ledger #3: Same type of ledger as Ledger #1 with same type of information and indexing, ca. 1900-1907 (months and days are noted, without years) Same handwriting as ledgers #1-2.

Ledger 4: General store ledger in Vischer Ferry, Oct. 28, 1905-May 30, 1906;) with names of customers, what they purchased and price. No name index. Check Register, 1906-1911, from the Citizens Trust Company, Schenectady, NY, belonged to George H. Smith, Vischer Ferry. Same handwriting as in the ledger books above and many of the checks are to food companies. Box 3: Pocket Account/Day/Cash Books This is a series of small business and personal account books of cash received and spent and other business related books. The books include the following:

#1: Accounts of personal income and expenses, 1886-1892, unknown , includes lists of Christmas presents purchased and other interesting details

#2: Day book of George H. Smith, 1886-88 #3: Account book, chiefly of wages at Locks 19,20,21, 1905, 1909 #4: Account book of coal purchases from George H. Smith, 1886 #5: Accounts of personal income and expenses, 1899-1903, unknown #6: Receipt book of G. H. Smith General Merchandise, Vischer Ferry, NY, 1911 #7: Account book of F. J. Vischer in account with J.C. Losee, Dry Goods and Groceries #8: Diary, 1913 (1922), blank except for a few accounts and notes; diary belonged to George H. Smith, Schenectady, NY, who used it in 1922. He gives physical details in In 1922, including he weighed 170 lbs. and was 5’6’. Miscellaneous Material: The following includes a variety of historical documentation found in this collection. Folder 1: Material of and by Francis J. Vischer and his mother, Rachel Vischer, 1846-1890, including receipts for goods and services, a draft notice to Francis J. Vischer from the 29th Regt., NYS Militia, Jonesville, NY, 1864 and a list of household furniture and other items given to Francis J. by his mother Rachel Vischer, 1851. These documents were in a red leather wallet, which remains with the documents. Folder 2: 3 Shares of stock of the VischersFerry Bridge Company issued to Geo. H. Smith, 1900. Folder 3: Papers re: to operation of ferry at Vischers Ferry by T. E. Gavin, 1921 and sales agreement of sale of ferry scow and other related items to G.F.Smith and C.C. Sherman, 1921. Folder 4: Agreements (2) to build barns of Geo. H. Smith, at the Gates farm, 1878, and at the Parsonage of the Reformed Church, Vischers Ferry, 1889, bond of Geo. H. Smith as Commissioner of Highways, 1892, and brief minutes of meeting to organize a Republican Club held at the home of Geo. H. Smith, 1888.

Folder 5: Miscellaneous items, including a group of bills of Charles Biele, Coffees and Teas, NY, NY to Henry Riekers, 1901; miscellaneous pages from a report of the Brooklyn Masonic Veterans; blank bills of Geo. H. Smith, Village Hotel and Livery, Vischer Ferry, NY; miscellaneous receipts and two letters to John Scherer from Smith family members, 1983 and 1985. Oversize items (2): Filed in Map Case drawer. Part of a page of a newspaper (Utica Globe) from Utica, NY 1907 Schenectady Daily Union, issue for July 8, 1876 James Corsaro Archivist

Stony Creek Reservoir

Papers History: The Stony Creek Reservoir was built in 1952 and completed in 1953. The reservoir is owned by the Town of Colonie and was acquired by that town, after much public debate and litigation, by eminent domain and by private sale of lands. The reservoir was opposed by the Clifton Town Board and by many residents of the towns of Colonie and Clifton Park, especially residents of Vischer Ferry, where the reservoir was to be located. The residents sent petitions to the state government to oppose the construction and brought suits against the town of Colonie, but ultimately lost the battle against the reservoir. The opposition in Vischer Ferry was led by three residents, A.C. Stevens, Chester Hall, the owner of the Francis Vischer historic home and Howard Becker, the Town Historian and the owner of some land that was impacted by the dam and reservoir. Residents suggested the Ranney plan as a source of water rather than the reservoir. The Vischer house was moved to Menands, NY. The construction also caused the loss of Van Vranken Road, the oldest road in the town of Clifton Park. Scope: This collection includes a variety of material that provides substantial documentation of the public fight over the construction of the dam and reservoir. It includes court documents, petitions of opposition to the reservoir, correspondence, publications and reports related to water supply, reservoirs and dams, maps, resolutions against the reservoirs, photographs, and minutes of meetings of Clifton Park Protective Association (opposition to dam/reservoir). Size: 2 boxes, 2 lin. ft. Donor: Howard Becker Contents: Box 1: Series: Proposals for Water Supply, Engineers Reports and Public Hearings This series includes the proposals and reports and cost estimates of Keis & Holroyd, engineers ; for the reservoir for the Town of Colonie and hearings related to the proposal; also documentation about the Ranney Method of Water Supply. Folder 1: Proposal, Contract, and Specifications for …Water Supply from Stony Creek for the Latham Water District, Colonie, NY, by Keis & Holroyd, Engineers, Troy, NY 1949 used by the Town of Colonie requesting bids for the construction of the reservoir, ca. 290 pp.

Folder 2: Explanation of the cost estimate from the proposal for water supply, 1950, from Keis and Holroyd to Timothy F. Cohan, the attorney who represented the opposition to the reservoir. Folder 3: File of publications and advertising flyers by and about the Ranney Method Water Supplies and letters to T. F. Cohan and William Sanford, Supervisor of Colonie, 1950; also a drawing of a proposal Ranney Collector for the Town of Colonie, 1950. Folder 4: Stenographic records of minutes of testimony at public hearings of the NYS Water Power and Control Commission, Town of Colonie, Feb. 1, 1949 and April 18, 1950, (from Chester Hall.) Folder 5: Report on proposed…Supply of Water for Latham Water District, Sept. 1949, submitted Keis & Holroyd, submitted to the Town of Colonie; also cost estimate explanation for the proposal, 1950 and costs figures, 1950. Folder 6: Report on the Proposed Additional Supply of Water for the Latham Water District, Colonie, NY, Sept. 1949 made to the Colonie Town Board by Keis & Holyroyd, 3 copies. Folder 7: Maps related to the creation of the reservoir and general maps of New York State and vicinity of the reservoir. These maps are filed in the map case. Map of Saratoga County Highway System, 1938 and 1944(3 cop.) Highway Map, Schenectady County, NY, 1941 Albany County,, 1949 Map of the Adirondack Mountains…, 1928 Albany, Sectional Aeronautical Chart, 1948 Highway Map, Town of Niskayuna, 1938 Latham Water District, Colonie, NY Additional Water Supply, Stoney Creek (Photostat and 15 copies of this map) Aerial photos of the reservoir, 10 photos

Map, handrawn in pencil, of Vischer Ferry?, n.d. with names of residents and homes indicated.

Series: Papers related to Opposition to the Stony Creek Reservoir This series includes petitions, litigation records, correspondence, minutes of meetings, resolutions in opposition to the reservoir/dam, and other papers produced by the opposition to the construction of the dam and reservoir and to the closing of Van Vranken Road by the Latham Water District. Folder 8: Opposing Statement and Exhibits …of the Town of Clifton Park vs. the proposed construction of a dam and creation of a reservoir on Stony Creek at Vischer Ferry, Jan. 1950, including a statement by the Town Board, a large number of petitions to the Town Board to oppose the project and resolutions by 22 organizations. Also, Decision of the NYS Dept. of Conservation, Water Power and Control Commission approving the Latham Water District

proposal, June 1950 (2 cop.). Also, 2 letters to Chester Hall from law firms re: his opposition to the project. Folder 9: Resolutions of various organizations against the dam/reservoir proposal from groups in Clifton Park and Schenectady County, 1950. Also, a list of organizations making resolutions and the number of members in each organization. Box 2: Folder1: Letter/Statement of the Colonie Taxpayers Protective Association to residents of the Town of Colonie, Feb. 1951, opposing the dam/reservoir project and supporting the Ranney System for water supply. The letter was sent to 10,000 Colonie residents. (3 cop.). Also a Comparison Chart of the Dam/Reservoir with the Ranney System. Also, an Open Letter to the …Town Board of Colonie, NY about Ranney System; also notes, probably by Howard Becker. Folder 2: Correspondence of various residents of Clifton Park and Colonie, NY to Gov. Thomas Dewey, NYS Comptroller, Frank C. Moore, Commissioner of Agriculture, Perry Duryea and others opposing the dam/reservoir project and asking their support, mainly Feb. 1950. Folder 3: File of meeting minutes of the Clifton Park Protective Association and notes (probably by Howard Becker) about meetings and work to be done to oppose the project, Nov. 1949. Petitions signed by landowners of land proposed for the reservoir proposed agreeing not to sell their lands, Nov. 1949. Also, mimeographed statements about disadvantages of project to Clifton Park, list of newspaper articles about dam floods, and list of points to make in letters to Gov. Dewey. Also, minutes of meetings of opposition to dam/reservoir held at homes of Chester Hall and A.C. Stevens, Jan.-Feb. 1950. Also, list of enrolled voters of the Town of Clifton Park, 1947-1948. Folder 4: File of correspondence from Timothy F. Cohan, attorney for opposition to project to various cities re: whether Solomon & Keis, Troy, NY did surveys, reports or built water supply systems and list of the replies received after the Keis testimony to the Water Power and Control Commission hearing on the project. Folder 5: Letter, 2/13/1951, from Jared S. Horton, Colonie Taxpayers Association to William K. Sanford and Colonie Town Board, 4 cop. Folder 6: Correspondence of H. Becker and Chester Hall with others, Dec.1949-Jan.1950; Also, a statement by H. Becker giving points to make at project hearing in Feb. 1950 and a copy of an article about law for riparian owners from the magazine, Rural New Yorker. Also, a chart by Howard Becker, showing curve of total assessed valuation in the Town of Clifton Park from 1945-1953. Folder 7: Testimony of James G. Tripp and Frank R. Williams re: cost of river crossing and rebuilding of two roads before the Water Power and Control Commission, 1951, 3 cop.

Box 3: F 33: 1867 F.34: 1867 F.35: 1867 F.36: 1868 F.37: 1868 F.38: 1869 F.39: No date F.40: A file of miscellaneous material, some of which appear from the personal papers of John W. Van Vranken and some of which may have been related to his work as Justice of the Peace. Included in this small group of documents are: a list of students in Dist. #16, list of taxpayers in Dist. #16, a bill for the education of Gertrude Van Vranken at Jonesville Academy, an essay or speech about Roman history, a short poem, a return of the vote at a town meeting, 1863, a few letters and other items. James Corsaro Archivist

Town of Clifton Park

Justice of the Peace

Records

History:

Justices of the Peace were appointed in New York State from 1777-1821 by the state Council of

Appointment. By the Constitution of 1821, the justices began to be named by the supervisor and

judges of each county. By 1830, the election of justices was a matter taken up at each town

meeting.

John W. Van Vranken Records John W. Van Vranken, the main Justice of the Peace whose records are represented here, was

first elected in1853 and served again in 1864-1865. The work of the Justice Court was concerned

with criminal cases.

Scope:

This is a series of records of the Justice’s Court, i.e., the Justices of the Peace of the Town of

Clifton Park, 1848-1869. The papers found in this series include: Depositions, Complaints and

Answers of plaintiffs and defendants, Subpoenas, Affidavits, sworn statement, jury summons,

leases, minutes of court proceedings and other items.

The types of crimes and types of documents from the trials conducted in the Justice’s Court

included minutes of trials, theft of cash and goods, trespass, canal boat accidents and damage

caused by canal boats on lands and other canal boats, execution of judgments by constables,

fraud, assault, property damage by animals, disorderly conduct, forgery and counterfeit, bonds,

debt, violation of temperance act, minutes of evidence brought before the court, cases re: to labor

on the canal, testimony of witnesses at trials, attempted rape, theft/fraud re: horses and other

animals, arson, bigamy, vagrancy, and other crimes and documents.

Items of particular interest in this series include the names of many canal boats found in the

records of various crimes committed on the canal and the great variety of crimes that occurred in

the town, including assaults on women. The types of cases that are found most frequently

include: assault, theft of personal property, violations of the temperance/alcohol sale law,

damages to and by canal boats,

The Justices of the Peace include: mainly John W. Van Vranken as well as Nelson Cole, Abram

V. Fowler and Rufus Palmer. Another name frequently found in these records is Philip Dutcher,

the Constable of the town.

Some cases were conducted as Courts of Special Sessions with the Justice of the Peace presiding.

These records were originally filed in and were received with the gift of a small 19th

century

traveling trunk. The trunk remains a part of the library’s collection.

Size: 2 boxes, 2 lin. ft.

Donor: Van Vranken family

Contents:

This collection is arranged chronologically into 40 folders from 1848-1869.The following is a

list of the dates and folder numbers of the collection. There is one folder of miscellaneous

material (F.40).

Box 1:

F. 1: 1848

F. 2: 1850

F. 3: 1851

F. 4: 1852

F. 5: 1853

F. 6: 1854

F. 7: 1854

F. 8: 1854

F. 9: 1855

F. 10: 1855

F. 11: 1855

F. 12: 1856

F. 13: 1856

F. 14: 1857

F. 15: 1859

F. 16: 1860-1861

F. 17: 1862

F. 18: 1862

F. 19: 1862

Box 2:

F.20: 1863

F.21: 1863

F.22: 1863

F.23: 1864

F.24: 1864

F.25: 1864

F.26: 1864

F.27: 1864

F. 28:1865

F.29: 1865

F.30: 1865

F.31: 1866

F.32: 1866

Box 3:

F 33: 1867

F.34: 1867

F.35: 1867

F.36: 1868

F.37: 1868

F.38: 1869

F.39: No date

F.40: A file of miscellaneous material, some of which appear from the personal papers of John

W. Van Vranken and some of which may have been related to his work as Justice of the Peace.

Included in this small group of documents are: a list of students in Dist. #16, list of taxpayers in

Dist. #16, a bill for the education of Gertrude Van Vranken at Jonesville Academy, an essay or

speech about Roman history, a short poem, a return of the vote at a town meeting, 1863, a few

letters and other items.

James Corsaro

Archivist

Samuel Wilbur Records Samuel Wilbur served as Justice from 1837 to 1841.

Scope:

Docket of Justice Wilbur and one folder.

Size:

1 bound volume and 1 folder

Donor:

Unknown

Contents:

The bound volume lists cases heard between December 12, 1840 and Dec. 6, 1841

chronologically, giving names of defendants and plaintiffs, decisions rendered, and financial

settlements. An alphabetical index of names appears at the beginning of the volume.

The folder contains two forms commanding any Constable of Saratoga County to summon

persons to appear before Justice Wilbur. One form is blank. The other is filled in with the names

Peter Laplant and George W. Kellogg, to appear on December 13, 1841.

Gail Winters

Librarian

Town of Clifton Park Town Records, 1920-1930

History: The Town of Clifton Park was the last town formed in Saratoga County. It was separated from the Town of Halfmoon in 1828. Geographically, it occupies a mid-southern position in Saratoga County. Its population remained fairly constant throughout most of the nineteenth and first half of the twentieth century. By 1960, however, this figure had doubled to 4,512. In 1970 the population total had jumped to 14,867 and according to the 1990 Census the figure is around 32,000. The Town of Clifton Park has the largest population in Saratoga County. Scope: This is a collection of early 20th century records of the Town of Clifton Park, including poll lists of electors at town meetings, 1896-1903 and financial records of the town, including bills, orders to pay and checking account statements and cancelled checks, 1920-1930. Many of the records include the names of persons in the town, including those who were electors and those being paid for providing goods and services to the town. The Library does not have a policy of collecting the official town records, which are maintained by the town government. Donor: Town of Clifton Park Size: 2 boxes, 1.5 lin. ft. Contents:

Folder 1: Poll Lists of District No. 1, Town of Clifton Park, Mar. 8, 1893-March 7, 1894. There are two volumes of these poll lists, which also include poll lists of the district for the years 1896-1899, 1901, 1903 in volume 1 and in the 2nd volume 1897, 1895, 1896, 1897,1898, 1899,1901,1903. The poll lists include the names of the electors. Folder 2-7: Bills paid by the Town Supervisor and Orders to the Town Supervisor by the Superintendent of Highways to pay for goods and services, 1920-1930. The bills are in chronological order by year and include bills paid by Supervisors J.K. Losee and D. Van Hyning. Many of the orders to pay are for work done on town highways and ordered by Superintendent E. M. Tourtellot. Most of the bills and orders are dated 1920. Folder 2: March-April, 1920 Folder 3: May-August 1920 Folder 4: Sept.-Oct. 1920 Folder 5: Nov.-Dec. 1920 Folder 6: Dec. 1927-March 1931 Folder 7: June 1929-October 1930

Folders 8-10: Cancelled checks and statements of the Town of Clifton Park, Town Supervisor with the Citizens Trust Company, Schenectady, NY, 1926-1930, Delazou Van Hyning, Town Supervisor. These statements do not include notes about what goods or services were being paid for; only the names of the payee. Folder 8: 1926-1929 Folder 9: 1927-1930

Folder 10: 1928-1930 Box 2: Additional records of the Town of Clifton Park including: Town Highway Time Book, Jan.-Dec. 1921, E.M.Tourtellot, Superintendent Order Book for the Use of the Town Superintendent, 1921 Orders to pay Supervisor of Town Highway from the Highway Fund, for labor on town highways, 1920 Certified/Approved payrolls, (3), 1920-1921 Bills/Receipts and cancelled checks for goods and services paid by the Town of Clifton Park, ca. 1927-1930 James Corsaro Archivist

Union Sunday School Association of the Town of Clifton Park

Archives History: The Union Sunday School Association of the Town of Clifton Park, a Methodist Episcopal Church group, was organized Februrary 19, 1878 at Jonesville, NY. The purpose of the Association was to “promote thorough Sunday School work throughout the town.” It was formed by the church at Jonesville, the Amity M.E. Church at Vischer’s Ferry along with delegates of the Union Sunday School Association. In succeeding years, other churches joined the Association, including the Clifton Park M.E. Church, Grooms M.E. Church, Rexford M.E. Church, Amity Reformed Church and the Clifton Park Center Baptist Church. The Association seems to have been existence until at least 1960 Scope: This collection consists chiefly of two minute books of the Association, with a small number of miscellaneous other documents. The material dates from 1878 to 1960. The minutes provide a detailed abstract of the events and discussions at each meeting. There are manuscript and printed copies of the constitution of the Association in the minutes. The Adsit family was involved with the Association from its origin until at least the Thirties. The first member involved was George Adsit of Clifton Park Village and there are several items, some related to the Association, of the Adsit family in the collection. A brief history of the Old Clifton Park M.E. Church (later the Grooms M.E. Church) by Newman W. Adsit, 1935 in the local history collection of the Library. Size: 4 folders, .30 lin. ft. Donor: Fred Stevens Contents: Folders 1-2: Minute Books, 2 volumes, 1878-1943 and 1944-1960 Folder 3: Material, probably originally belonging to George Adsit, related to the Association and Methodist Episcopal Church in Clifton Park, including: Origin, Articles and General Rules…of Ritual of the Methodist Episcopal Church, with George Adsit certificate as a member of the Clifton Park Village M.E. Church, 1880; a printed list of books in the M.E. S.S. of Clifton Park Village library, typed report of Sunday School work in Clifton Park, 1941; minutes of 63rd Annual Convention of the Association, 1941; miscellaneous printed items re: to Methodist Episcopal Church.

Folder 4: Papers of George Adsit, including, insurance policy for Adsit from Clifton Park and Half Moon Mutual Fire Insurance Association, 1890; Road Warrant by George Adsit, Overseer of Highways, Clifton Park, 1887; agreement of George and Lydia Adsit with Joseph Bramhall for the Old Mills farm, 1893; deed for Horse Shed between Adsit and LeGrand M. Turner, 1886; ballot used Adsit for Clifton Park offices, 1885. James Corsaro Archivist

Van Vranken Family

Collection History: The first settler of Clifton Park was Ryck Claes Van Vranken in 1672. Ryck Van Vranken divided his land between his three sons who established their homes near Vischer Ferry. The family remained in Vischer Ferry and vicinity until the 21st century and the family served in government as Town Supervisors, highway overseers, Justice of the Peace and other offices and in churches, particularly the Amity Reformed Church. The Van Vrankens were farmers for most of their time in Clifton Park and owned Idylwilde Orchard in the town. Scope: This collection is made up of donations from four donors: Robert Van Vranken, William F. Van Vranken, Items from the Moses Van Vranken House and Alan and Barbara Maddaus. The donations are kept separate in this collection. The collection includes early deeds and wills from the 18th to the 19th century, several photographs of people and homes, many of which are identified, land records for Van Vranken family property in Clifton Park, diaries, scrapbooks of newspaper clippings, catalogs of the Idylwilde Orchard, a Van Vranken farm, genealogical material about the Van Vranken family, and other material. The collection dates from approximately 1710 to 2003, with the bulk of the material dated from approximately 1850-1940. In addition to historical documentation of the Van Vrankens, there are photographs and other items concerning other families in the Vischer Ferry/Clifton Park area, including the Lansing and Fort families. Size: 9 boxes, 9 lin. ft. Donors: This collection was donated by several donors, including Robert Van Vranken, William Van Vranken, and Allen and Barbara Maddaus. Contents: Box 1: Photograph Albums, (from Robert Van Vranken) #1, Photograph Album, Forte Family and others, ca. 1880, Vischer Ferry, NY This is a large brown photograph album with a raised decorated binding and photographs of identified people. The following index of names is in page order. Witbeck (middle aged man) Gidley Palmer Alida Palmer

Emma Forte Michael Forte Simon Forte Katherine Vrooman Edward Vrooman Vischer Forte Woman, unidentified Welden Forte Evangelist Sam Jones and Family Ella Judge Charles Forte Charles Forte Michael Wiltsey Angus Shumaker Memorial card for Abram Van Vranken Helen Forte, Nicholas Forte, Helen Forte, Charles Forte Unid. woman, Well Forte, unid. couple Harriet Forte, Simon Forte, unid. girl and boy(children of Harriet and Simon Forte) Eldert Timeson, Lyda Timeson, unid.man and woman Unid. girl, woman and man Unid. mother and child, unid. young girl, man Van der Worken, Eliza Van der Worken #2, Photograph Album, Sebastian Cragier of Vischer Ferry, ca. 1870. This is a small brown album with a loose binding in relief. The album was a gift to Cragier from his Sunday School. Only 3 photos are identified, incl. Adam Van Vranken as a boy and as young man and Vischer Cregier driving a horse and buggy. There are 27 photographs in the album. Photos are carte-de-visite and tin-types, including miniature photos #3, Photograph Album, ca. 1860-1870. This is a small brown photograph album with 34 photographs. All the photographs are unidentified and are probably of people local to the Town of Clifton Park and Vischer Ferry. There is a photo of the Tom Thumb wedding group. Photos are carte-de-visite and tin-types, including miniature photos. #4, Photograph Album, ca. 1870. This is a small brown photograph album with 25 photographs, all are unidentified, although are probably of local people. The photographic studios taking the photos are mainly from Albany with at least one by a studio in Waterford, NY. Note photograph taken in Waterford of woman with very long hair. Box 2: Photograph Albums and Photographs (from Robert Van Vranken) #5, Photograph Album, ca. 1860-70

This is a small brown photograph album with 39 photographs, most are unidentified, although are probably of local people. The following lists the identified photos.

A. Carry Mary L. Smith L.S. Schoonmaker, 1st Lt. 51st NY Vols. (killed at Petersburg, VA, Aug 2, 1864? #6, Photograph Album, ca. 1870-1890 This is a large green photograph album with about 55 photographs, most are unidentified, although probably are of local people, many of the photos are by photographers from Troy and Mechanicville. Two are identified; a portrait of two boys, Adrian Fellows and Emmet Lansing. Although they are photographs of adults, there are also many photos of infants and children in this album. There are a several tintypes in the album, including a tintype of a trio driving a horse and buggy. Folder 1: Photographs: (from Robert E. Van Vranken) These are photographs that had been previously removed from albums; including carte-de-visite and tintypes. Almost all are unidentified; the following are identified: Alice Van Vranken Lape, Jonesville, NY and Allen H. Lape, Alplaus, NY, both with obituary notices. Also, a newspaper clipping of the wedding of Allen Lape and Alice V.V. Lape, 1895 and invitation for the wedding. Folder 2: Deed for cemetery lot to Gerrit D. Van Vranken from Jonesville Cemetery Association, July 28, 1875. Box 3: Photographs from Moses Van Vranken Farmhouse, Crescent Road These photographs were found in the Moses Van Vranken farmhouse that was later owned by Elizabeth Dubb Van Vranken. The photographs are almost all unidentified. Some of the photos are faded and some need conservation. The photographs include tintypes, carte-de-visites, cabinet cards, and collodion paper prints. There are three identified carte-de-visites: Isaac S. Wilber of the Sunday School of the Amity Church and two different cdvs of Zilla? Race of Vischer Ferry, NY. Folder 1: Identified photos of Zilla Race and Isaac S. Wilber Folder 2: Postcard of a railroad station, 1911, faded. Folder 3: Tintypes, 9, including 4 of children Folder 4: Carte-de-visites of unidentified people, taken by photographers in Albany, Mohawk, Schenectady, Utica and Wolcott, NY Folder 5: Carte-de-visite photos, 10, of unidentified people taken by photographers in Illinois (mainly Freeport, IL and Springfield, IL with one photo done in Sioux City, IA; including 6 photos of infants and one photo identified, though faded which may be of Wm. C…krite?. Folder 6: Cabinet photos, 4, of unidentified man, woman with infant, girl, woman, taken in Schenectady, Troy, Gloversville, NY and New Brunswick, NJ. Folder 7-10: Collodion paper print photographs, all unidentified, including the following:

F. 7: 4 photos with horses F. 8: Photo of men at a shipyard with a steam launch called Pigeon F. 9: Photos, 11, of family group portraits, with at least one older woman who appears in most of the photos; photos are of the groups picking apples and sitting outdoors.

F. 10: Miscellaneous photos, including 3 photos of unidentified women, framed photo of unidentified woman and a newspaper clipping photo of Chester Wood, President of Club.

Box 4: Photographs (Gift of William F. Van Vrankin, Concord, NH) This is a large group of photographs, some in albums, and in various formats, including carte-de-vistes, tintypes, cabinet photos, collodion photo paper prints, postcards, and copy photos. Some of the photos are identified and those are noted in the following description. Photographic Albums (3) Album #1: Photos of Bath 3 Club, houses in the Clifton Park region, Amity Church, Forts ferry at Vischer Ferry, aqueduct at Crescent, train station at Niskayuna, ca. 1913-1914. Album #2: Photos of the Van Vranken and Lansing families, and Van Vranken house on Morgan Avenue, ca. 1910-1915. Album #3: Photos of unidentified people, probably Van Vranken family members; also photos of houses, demolition of a barn, scenes on river. Cabinet Photographs: This is a group of cabinet photographs, ca. 1880-1890 (24); some are unidentified and those identified are listed below: Witbeck (woman); (man) Cregier (Mrs. Wm. Van Vranken) Mary Clute Forte Pearse James Hatch Uncle Norm Harriet VanVranken Lulu Cronk and brother Cass Carry Lansing (2 different photos) Samuel Vandenburg Emmet Lansing Jennie Hatch William Arthur Van Vranken and Carry Elscey Van Vranken Tunis Cregier Wm. H. Van Vranken Folder 1: Unidentified cabinet photos Folder 2: Identified cabinet photos

Postcard Photographs: Folder 3: This is a small group of 14 postcards of Mohawk River views, Vischer Ferry views and houses, probably at Vischer Ferry, as follows: Stream and pond views at Vischer Ferry, 4 Forts ferry views (2) and views (2) of canal and Mohawk River Views (6) of roads with houses, including a house with ice from the Mohawk River and a view along road in Halfmoon Folder 4: Tintype Photographs: This is a group of 3 unidentified tintype portraits and 10 identified tintype portraits, listed below: Henry Hart Elizabeth Van Vranken James Forte and Olin Adsit Adrian Fellows and Emmet Lansing Domine W.W. Letson (pastor of Amity Church, 1868-1880) Vischer Cregier James Forte Susan Forte, ca. 1870 Group portrait outdoors with Wm. Holloway Grandma Forte Folder 5: Carte-de-Visites This is a group of 11 carte-de-visites, ca. 1860-1890, unidentified and 8 identified as follows: Hazel Emma Clute Helen Forte Adam Van Vranken (Uncle Ad) Laury? Cregier Carrie Lansing Gert Lansing Emmet Lansing Folder 6-7: Collodion and other Photographs This is a group of small format collodion paper prints and other photographs, ca. 1890-1956. There are 27 photographs, 10 unidentified (folder 6) and 17 identified (folder 7) as follows: Grandmother Dorcas and Uncle Sebastian Cregier Same two people with 4 others William Van Vranken, 2 different portrait photos Amity Reformed Church Ella Fellows, Mattie Pearse, Grace Pearse and 1 other Carrie Lansing and another woman Mattie and Grace Pearse

Grandmother Van Vranken, Uncle Add Van Vranken, Aunt Gert Lansing, Father Van V. Carrie Lansing, Emmet Lansing, Gertrude V.V. Lansing, Dorcas Cregier V.V. Greeting card with photo of The Dunhams, a house, 1956 High water from river taken from front lawn of McKain home (Van Vranken) Wm. Elscey (infant), Grace P. Van Vranken, McKain V.V. Photo of old mahogany chair Aunt Elscey Van Vranken McKain home (Uncle Jim McKain), Vischer Ferry, ca. 1940 Daddy and William Taken on the beach at Ormond, FL, 1913, Mr. Wells machine (automobile) Folder 8-9: Collodion and other Photographs This is a group of large format collodion paper prints and other photographs, ca. . There are photographs, (need sleeving) 5 unidentified and 10 identified as follows: Unidentified: Elderly lady Mother with infant Group of high school students in a school Group of children in front of a school? Three photos of house and group photos of women, Round Lake, 1916. Identified: Amity Reformed Church Jenny (horse), March 1891 (a buggy in front of a house) Adam Van Vranken and family Dorcas Cregier, Wm. H., John Witbeck and Robert Van Vranken Rev. James Graham, pastor of Amity Reformed Church Susan Van Vranken Aunt Rebecca Peters Man: Probably Rebecca Peters spouse Group at July 4, 1895 picnic Group at July 4, 1895 picnic (watermelons) Yacht “Elscey,” on the Mohawk River, July 4, 1895 Camp “Maguase”, July 4, 1895, group in front of tent Box 5: Scrapbooks of Newspaper Clippings, (Gift of William F.Van Vrankin, Concord, NH). These are five scrapbooks compiled by Susan Fort Van Vranken of Vischer Ferry from about 1880-1915. The scrapbooks include newspaper clippings of poetry, local news, handwritten notes, national news, recipes, brief biographies of famous people, religious sentiments and religious poetry, etc. The “scraps” are pasted onto a trade catalog, magazines and a ledger of a blacksmith, probably located in Vischer Ferry. This ledger-scrapbook should have conservation work done by removal of all of the “scraps” so that the blacksmith accounts on the pages are readable. One scrapbook is almost entirely of recipes, handwritten and newsprint. One

scrapbook, originally a catalog from “Your Bargain Book No. 7 of the Charles William Stores, NYC (1915), has many pages of the catalog still intact without clippings. Folders 1-5: Scrapbooks #1-5. Folder 6: Miscellaneous items, including a group of photocopied documents re: to the Van Vranken family and a photocopy of a Van Vranken family tree; original marriage certificate of Sebastian Cragier and Catherine Fellows, Vischers Ferry, July 15, 1860; resolution of the Town of Clifton Park named Feb. 9, 1998 Van Vranken Day in the town. Folder 7: Sale of Negro woman (Nann) and infant boy (Yap) by Derrickje Van Vranken to Christopher Miller, 1786. Box 6: Copy Photographs and other Material: (Gift of William F. Van Vranken) Folders 1-6: This is a group of copy photographs, the originals of some are also in this collection. These photos have not been sleeved and are group by topic. Folder 1: Views along the Mohawk River and Erie Canal Folder 2: Houses and mill site Folder 3: Two photos of houses Folder 4: Photos of identified people Folder 5: Photos of unidentified people (some may be identified when compared with original photos in the collection) Folder 6: Photos of houses, river scenes and other views Folder 6A: Copy photos (3) of houses (Van Vranken homes?) sent by Bill Van Vranken, 1996 and sheet with multiple color photos of Bill Van Vranken and family Folder 7: Negatives, appear to be chiefly of the copy photographs listed in F. 1-6. (need sleeves) Folder 8: VHS tape, 6hr. tape of interview of Bill Van Vranken with John Scherer, done at the Vischer Ferry Nature Preserve, May 17, 1997. Folder 9: Miscellaneous items as follows: Wedding invitation, 1869 Anniversary invitation, 1894 Invitation to an excursion to Catskill, 1837 Invitation to a Donation Visit for Rev. George R. Williamson, 1851 Folder 10: Typed copy and photocopy of same of the Niskayuna Patent, April 22, 1708; also, photocopy of pages from book by H.I. Becker re: to Niskayuna Patent. Folder 11: Three publications re: to canals, including a facsimile of Traveler’s Pocket Directory,1831 and two issues of canal magazines.

Folder 12: Miscellaneous copy photo and photocopies of photos of home. Folder 13: Bible records of families from Helen Fort’s Bible and Isaac Lansing’s Bible with photocopies from another Bible owned by Rachel Clothier of Corinth, NY; records of Fort, Lansing, Van Vranken families. Also, original Bible record of John Van Vranken family. Folder 14: Blank Book entitled Poems, but used as a scrapbook for clippings of obituaries of Van Vrankens, Forts, Lansings and other families. Also, group of news clippings of obituaries (brittle). Also, photocopy of obituary for William F. Van Vranken, 2003. Also, photocopies of news clippings of Van Vranken marriage announcements. Also, 2 letters from Nancy Van Vranken to John Scherer, 2003 re: her father. Box 7: Documents from the Moses Van Vranken Farmhouse, Crescent Road This is a collection of original documents found in the Moses VanVranken home on Crescent Road. The documents date from 1774 -1858 . The documents are grouped by type and chronogically. Folder 1: Account book of Richard Van Vranken, 1841-1853, for goods sold and costs of labor for people working for Van Vranken. This account book was used as scrapbook for newspaper clippings of mainly general items, (poetry, miscellaneous news items) none of which relate to local history. (If funding becomes available to remove the clippings from this book, it would make this account book more useful for researchers.) Folder 2: Receipts to Adam R. Van Vranken for coffin and tombstone for Adam J. Van Vranken, 1858 and for medicine, medical services, a stall at Amity, 1830-1857. Also, receipt from Barent Brat and Ryer Gerritse as executors of estate of Jan Rosie, Albany, NY 1738. Folder 3: Survey notes for surveys of lands of Maus and Adam VanVranken, and a letter from D.L. Powell, to Adam R.Van Vranken, 1855 re: land. Folder 4: Land records of the Van Vranken family, 1774-1851, including deeds, land survey, contract, mortgage foreclosure case. Names appearing in these records include Nanning Vischer, Adam Van Vranken, Nathan Garnsey, Maus and Richard Van Vranken, John B. Miller, William Bell, Nanning V. Fort, Andrew Van Vranken, Abraham and Elizabeth Pearse, John Clute, Abraham Best and others. Boxes 8-9: Van Vranken Family Collection. (Gift of Alan and Barbara Maddaus) This is a collection of various items owned by George Van Vranken of Vischer Ferry and donated by Alan and Barbara Maddaus. George Freligh Van Vranken was the owner and farmer of Idlywilde Orchards in Rexford for many years. His spouse was Ruth Simmons Van Vranken, his sister was Mrs. Anna M. Des Forges, and two brothers, Charles E. and Adam Van Vranken. George F. Van Vranken was the owner of Idlywilde Orchards and Nurseries, one of the earliest orchards in the region; he was also a founder and director of the Menands Regional Market, an elder of Amity Reformed Church and member of other fraternal and agricultural organizations.

Box 8: Diaries: This is a group of diaries by George F. Van Vranken, Mrs. George F. VanVranken and a Van Vranken woman. The diaries include notes about weather, daily activities in the home and in the orchard, farm work, going to church and to social events and other information. Entry for April 29, 1957 notes that “Three years ago today my dear husband passed away, 1954 at 6:20 p.m, Geo. Born 1872.” Diary by aVan Vranken woman, 1910 Mr. George F. Van Vranken, 1940, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1951 Mrs. George F. Van Vranken, 1945, 1949, 1957 Small account book of expenses in constructing Geo. F. Van Vranken’s house, May 1918-Jan. 1919. Miniature tintype photograph of an unidentified Civil War soldier. Daguerreotype photograph of an unidentified man smoking a cigar Catalogs of Idylwilde Orchards and Nurseries, Rexford,, NY, Spring 1915, Abram VanVranken’s Sons: George F. Van Vranken and Chas. E. Van Vranken, 6 copies; Also catalogs for Spring 1912 (2), Spring 1913 (6), Spring 1914; also undated catalog, First Annual Price List of High Grade Nursery Stock, Ab’m Van Vranken’s Sons (2). Obituary of George Van Vranken, 82 years old, April 30, 1954. Box 9: Miscellaneous historical documents and other papers of George F. Van Vranken and the Van Vranken family. Land Records: Folder 1: Deed, Garret R. VanVranken to Adam Van Vranken, 1787, lands on north side of the Mohawk River. Folder 2: Deed, Garret R. VanVranken to Adam Van Vranken, 1799, lands on north side of the Mohawk River. Folder 3: Quit-claim deed, Jacob and Richard Van Vranken to Adam Van Vranken for land in the Clifton Park Patent, 1822 Folder 4: Deed, Adam Van Vranken to Adam Van Vranken, Jr. for land in the Clifton Park Patent, 1820.

Folder 5: Deed, Garrett and Rebecca Van Vranken to Adam VanVranken, Jr. for land in Clifton Park on the south bank of the Erie Canal, 1834. Folder 6: Deed, Henry Z. Hayner to Adam R. Van Vranken, for land in Clifton Park, NY Folder 7: Mortgage, Adam Van Vranken to Adam R. Van Vranken, 1840 Folder 8: Deed, Andrew Van Vranken to Adam Van Vranken, for land in Clifton Park, 1847 Folder 9: Survey notes of lot of land sold by Andrew Van Vranken to Adam Van Vranken, 1847 Folder 10: Warranty deed, Herman Vedder, et al to Adam Van Vranken for land on an island in the Mohawk River in town of Niskayuna, 1853 Wills: Folder 11: Will of Adam Van Vranken, 1836-1837 Folder 12: Will of Adam Van Vranken, 1869, 1880 Folder 13: Release of Adam V.V. Van Hoevenbergh, 1841 Folder 14: Will of Ryck Claessen of Canastagione, 1688 (copy made in 1711) Folder 15: Photostat of will of Ryck Claessen Folder: 16: Will of Claes Ryckson (Fonckman –Van Vranken), 1713 (in Dutch) Folder 17: Photostat of will of Claes Ryckson Folder 18: Writ of John Ten Broeck, Sheriff , Albany County in suit of Jacob Cuyler and Leonard Gansevoort v. Cornelius Christyonse, 1787, 2 cop. Miscellaneous Documents: Folder 19: Document in Dutch signed by Garret, Maas and Evert Rycksen, 1712 Folder 20: Correspondence of George F. Van Vranken with George H. Curry of Birmingham, MI, 1932-1940 re: VanVranken family genealogy. Also, photocopies of a 2 pp. list of Van Vrankens in the Revolutionary War. Folder 21: Letter from Jaren Van Wagenen to George Van Vranken, 1938, with citation from Governor Lehman re: the Van Vranken farm as a Double Century Farm; also clipping from Dairymen’s League News re: the century farm.

Folder 22: Letters re: Panama-Pacific International Exposition, 1915-1917 at which the Van Vranken farm won a medal (medal is with this collection) Folder 23: Correspondence of Ruth Van Vranken and Thomas R. Tillott, re: George Van Vranken’s estate, 1954 Folder 24: Cancelled checks and account statements, Schenectady Trust and telephone bills, 1954-56. Folder 25: Miscellaneous items, incl: 2 letters, blank letterhead of Idylwilde Orchards and partial land survey notes. Folder 26: Photographs (8) of George Van Vranken and Ruth Van Vranken (?) sorting apples and in the apple orchard, n.d. (1940s?) Folder 27: Will of Maas Rycksen Van Vranken, 1759 Folder 28: Photostat of will of Maas Rycksen Van Vranken Objects: The following are 3-dimensional artifacts in the Van Vranken collection donated by the Maddaus family: Medals: Bronze medal from Louisiana Purchase Universal Exposition, 1904 Medal of Award (4) from Panama-Pacific International Exposition, 1915 Miscellaneous artifacts, incl: a wristwatch, Gillette razor with blade, boxes of marbles and pen tips, fountain pens, key chain, key and other items. James Corsaro Archivist

VISCHER FERRY CIVIC ASSOCIATION

Collection

History:

This long-lived organization was active and influential in the Town of Clifton Park.

Formed in 1973, it continued until c.1995. By-laws established the name as The Vischer

Ferry Civic Association (VFCA) but the organization was also referred to as the Vischer

Ferry Association (VFA).

The VFCA engaged in many civic and social activities. One major focus was on local

history. In addition to social notes and notices of the many functions it sponsored, its

newsletters contained essays on the history of Vischer Ferry, many by Clifton Park Town

Historian John Scherer. The Association was instrumental in having the hamlet of

Vischer Ferry placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. Members were

also directly responsible for the establishment of the Vischer Ferry Nature and Historic

Preserve in 1977 and continued in an advisory capacity after it was established by the

Town of Clifton Park. Major undertakings for VFCA members were the many events of

Canal Days, held annually from 1975 to 1983. The group became involved in a number

of civic issues, notably that involving the excavation of a gravel pit virtually within the

hamlet of Vischer Ferry.

Scope:

This collection contains materials from the donors listed below, most of whom served as

officers for the Association. Several kept folders of information on specific issues that

they were personally involved in. Copies of annual reports on the Vischer Ferry Nature

and Historic Preserve were added from the Library’s Vertical File.

As materials were in disarray, they were sorted and an order has been imposed on them.

The collection begins with Administration and Membership documents and Publications

and Vischer Ferry Nature and Historic Preserve documents. Canal Day materials include

notes kept by those running the day’s events as well as pamphlets produced for the event.

Size: 5 boxes, 5 lin. Ft.

Donors: Joanna Smith, Evelyn Dash, Ernest and Pat Haffner, Frances M. and Herman L.

Finkbeiner, George Bonino and Peter R. Borrelli and John Scherer.

Contents:

Box 1: Administration and Membership

Folder 1: Constitution and By-Law, 1973, 2 copies. Constitution and By-Laws, June

1973. Constitution, Revised, January, 1976: 2 copies, one with handwritten Synopsis.

Constitution, Revised, November, 1976. Newspaper articles about formation of group.

Mock-up of VFCA logo.

Folder 2: Minutes of Board Meetings, March 16, 1973 to March 2, 1988.

Folder 3: Financial Records: Treasurer’s Reports, 12/2/1985 and 12/4/1986. Bills, from

Nolan & Heller, Attorneys at Law, 12/31/1986 to 2/29/1988. Financial reports: for a

Square Dance, dated 2/12/1983; for a picnic, dated 9/9/1980 and a picnic, dated

8/14/1982.

Folder 4: Miscellaneous Correspondence: To Price Chopper Supermarkets soliciting

funds for “Greek Temples on the Towpath,” 10/1/1983. Copy of letter from Supervisor

Roy A. Speckhard to members of the Planning Board, Town of Clifton Park regarding

growth and development within the Town, 2/27/1984. To Lee Palmer, Director of

Community Affairs, Town of Clifton Park regarding bridge abutment at the end of Ferry

Drive, 4/14/1984. With the Capital District Bicycle Racing Club regarding complaints,

6/13/1984 and repy, 6/22/1984. To Barbara Yake from John J. Criscione, Nolan & Heller,

Attorneys at Law, regarding action brought by Mr. James Schillinger against the Clifton

Park Planning Board, (Applewood Estates).

Folder 5. Correspondence and documents regarding the Vischer Ferry Historic District

and proposed zoning for the hamlet. Copy of signed petition circulated by a group

opposing historic zoning. Copies of newspaper articles about this group.

Folder 6. Correspondence referring to the operation of the Alphonse DeLucia gravel pit. .

Decision of State of New York Supreme Court, County of Saratoga, February 14, 1979.

Agreement between the Town of Clifton Park with Alphonse DeLucia, 7/14/1975. New

York Crushed Stone Association, Bulletins No. 5, 5/9/1975 and Bulletin No. 6, 6/9/1975.

Newspaper articles.

Folder 7: Purpose of the Committee and meeting notes, VFCA Water, Sewer and

Utilities Committee, 3/29/’73-10/1/’74. Correspondence between George Banino and

John E, Van De Car, Supervisor, Town of Clifton Park.

Folder 8: Membership. Membership lists from 1974-75, 1976-77 (2 copies, one with

addenda), 1980-81, 1981-82, and 1987-88. Undated list of Officers and Committee

Chairs, c.1983. Undated list with letter to membership. Six small Membership Cards.

Folder 9: Newsletters, 1973 to 1978.

Folder 10: Newsletters, 1979 to 1987.

Box 2. Publications, and Vischer Ferry Nature and Historic Preserve materials.

Publications:

Folder 1. Greek Temples on the Towpath, A History and Guide to the Vischer Ferry

Historic District, by John Scherer, 1977; A Walk Through Historic Vischer Ferry, 1983,

Vischer Ferry Telephone Directory, c. 1982. Correspondence regarding a second printing

of “Crossroads & Canals,” 11/23/1981-3/1/1982.

Folder 2. An original draft of Crossroads and Canals sent to Howard Becker for comment

in 1975, with memo to History Committee members from Marie Morrison.

Donor: Marie Morrison.

Vischer Ferry Nature and Historic Preserve

Folder 3. Vischer Ferry Historical and Nature Preserve, Prepared for: Town Board of

Clifton Park…. Prepared by: Vischer Ferry Association, Inc. 26 p., spiral-bound. [1976]

Pamphlet: A Guide to the Historic Sites within the Vischer Ferry Nature and Historic

Preserve, n.d.

Folder 4. Rough drafts of Vischer Ferry Historical and Nature Preserve report, [1976]

Newspaper articles.

Folder 5. Vischer Ferry Association. Wildlife Management Committee. Minutes, reports

of Committee activities, and correspondence, December 1975 to December, 1978. After

Sept. 1, 1976 the group name appears as the Vischer Ferry Historic and Nature Preserve

Committee.

Folder 6. Correspondence, chiefly of Peter R. Borrelli, Vischer Ferry Historic and Nature

Preserve Committee, relating to the management of the Preserve, 1985-1986.

Folder 7. Proposal to the Clifton Park Bicentennial Committee, December 4, 1980. Copy

of Mohawk Valley article on the Preserve, Summer, 1983.

Folder 8. Press release from Power Authority of the State of New York, May 18, 1982.

Unsigned, undated agreement between the Town of Clifton Park and the Power Authority

of the State of New York. Correspondence regarding a recreational easement to be

granted to the Town of Clifton Park,

Folder 9: Vischer Ferry Nature and Historic Preserve. Annual Reports, 1978-1979, 1979-

1980, 1981, 1983.

Photographs: Folder 10: Copy photos stamped “John P. Papp” in envelope stamped “Received Sep 1

1982, H. L. Finkbeiner.” 13 color photos of Clutes Dry Dock and negatives in envelope

marked 3/3/’97.

Box 3: Vischer Ferry Nature and Historic Preserve Maps, Artifact

Maps

The maps in this collection are of the Vischer Ferry Historic and Nature Preserve

Preserve and were used by the e Committee. Barge Canal, State of New York, Eastern

Division, March 29, ’22, a composite of two large maps. Niskayuna Quadrangle, USGS

7.5 Minute Series, 1954. Niskayuna Quadrangle, USGS 7.5 Minute Series, 2d ed., 1974.

State of N. Y. Dept. of Public Works, Erie Canal, Waterford to Lock 7, March 1, 1915.

Photocopies of other maps.

Artifact

Vischer Ferry t-shirt, beige, with VFCA logo in brown.

Box 4. Canal Days, 1987 to 1983, Newspaper Articles, Photographs

Folder 1: Canal Day, October 18, 1975. Small pamphlet: Canal Receipts, Old-Fashioned

recipes from along the Erie Canal. Committee meeting and organizational notes,

publicity, thank you letters, photos, and newspaper articles. This first Canal Day was a

joint effort between the VFA’s Canal Day Committee and the Clifton Park Bicentennial

Committee. Minutes and notes of meetings of both groups are included.

Folder 2: Second Annual Canal Day, October 9, 1976. Program, 2 copies. Flyers, and

notes of organizational meetings. Financial summary. Photo of “200 Years Ago” display.

Notes and other information on crafts vendors. Plastic “master” of brochure cover.

Newspaper articles.

Folder 3 : Canal Day ’77. September 10, 1977. Program, Vischer Ferry Walkabout flyer.

Financial summary. Organizational notes. Information on advertisers in program. Notes

and other information crafts vendors. 2 photos of vendor area. 4 color photos of Canal

Day activities with negatives in envelope 1977.

Folder 4: Canal Day ’78, September 30, 1978. Program, 2 copies. Press releases, meeting

notes and minutes. Notes and form letter soliciting ads for program. Crafts summary,

form letter, and craftsperson information.

Folder 5: Canal Day ’79, 1979. October 6, 1979. Program, 2 copies. Meeting minutes,

correspondence, Literature Sales summary, and newspaper articles.

Folder 6: Canal Day ’80, September 28, 1980. Program, 2 copies. Other organizational

materials, meeting notes, and correspondence.

Folder 7: Canal Day 1981, September 26, 1981. Program, 2 copies. Welcome brochure

and map. Insurance papers, meeting notes and correspondence. Newspaper articles.

Folder 8: Canal Day ’83, October 8, 1983. Program, 2 copies, one with Special Events

flyer. Vischer Ferry Tour brochure. Walking Tour booklet, 3 copies. Treasurer’s Report.

Insurance papers. Organizational meeting notes. Correspondence. Canal Era Trade

Demonstrations, Crafts Sale and Art Show and Sale notes and correspondence. House

Tour notes. “Reminiscing Booth” notes. Press releases. Newspaper articles.

Folder 9: Canal Day ’83, October 8, 1983. Organizational meeting notes kept by Frances

M. Finkbeiner.

Photographs

Folder 10: 9 undated photos of Canal Day activities. Contact prints of photographs of

Vischer Ferry area. Copy photo marked “1890 River at Vischer Ferry, 2 copies. Copy

photo with label “Landing Vischer Ferry N. Y.” 2 copy photos of the Erie Canal areas in

Albany with letter in envelope addressed to Dr. Herman L. Finkbeiner stamped

“Received Oct 5 1979.” Negative of map, Profiles of the New York State Canals Feeders.

Copy photo of postcard of Vischer Ferry with negative, in envelope. Negative of postcard

of Vischer Ferry, in envelope. Negative of map of southern Clifton Park in eneolope

marked “Herman Finkbeiner WBH.” Negative of map of southern Clifton Park.

.

Box 5: Photographs, Colored Slides

Copy photos of Vischer Ferry area. Slides of designs for use on recreational signs in box

marked “Finkbeiner.”

VISCHER FERRY COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION

Collection

History:

The Vischer Ferry Community Association was active between 1950 and 1956. This

group used School No. 3, the one-room schoolhouse in Vischer Ferry, no longer used as a

school after the consolidation of the Shenendehowa Central Schools, for a meeting place

and for a library. This volunteer free library, opened in January of 1950, was a great

success. In 1953 this small library had circulated 1262 books. In October of 1950, the

Association mailed letters to those in the tax district for School No. 3 asking residents to

donate their tax refund from the surplus of the School District to the Association for the

purpose of acquiring the school for a Community Hall. When auctioned, however, the

building was sold to a private citizen.

Scope: This collection consists of loose pages of copies of letters, minutes of Association

meetings and committee reports.

Size: 1 folder, .25 lin. ft.

Donor: Joanna Smith

Contents:

(This collection is filed in the box containing the records of the Vischer Ferry

Improvement Association and Box 1 of the Vischer Ferry Civic Association.)

VISCHER FERRY IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION

Records History:

The Vischer Ferry Improvement Association collection contains minutes of the

Association from 1928 to 1936. One focus of the group was on improvements in

transportation. Members attempted to get a bridge built across the Mohawk River at

Vischer Ferry, for example, and to get have the road between Vischer Ferry and Crescent

made a State Road. Snow removal was also addressed, as was signage. The group also

arranged a few social functions, such as a supper in June of 1931.

Scope:

This collection consists of one manuscript book of minutes to meetings between June 7,

1928 and September 8, 1936. Several loose sheets at the back contain minutes of a

special meeting called on August 22, 1936.

Size: 1 folder, .50 lin. ft.

Donor: Joanna Smith

Contents: Folder 1. Minutes of the association from June 7, 1928 to September 8, 1936.

(This collection is filed in the box containing the records of the Vischer Ferry

Community Association and Box 1 of the Vischer Ferry Civic Association.)

Waite and Thierolf Family

Photograph Albums History: These photograph albums were collected by Marjorie Waite Kenney. Mrs. Kenney graduated from Scotia High School in 1925, married Ralph Kenney, who had degrees from Union, Princeton and Yale. Mrs. Kenney’s uncle, Oliver H. Waite built 2 houses in Rexford near the town line. She was born in 1909 and home schooled until high school. She graduated from Albany State Teachers College and became a school teacher. The Kenney family lived on Salisbury Road, Delmar, NY. Mrs. Kenney was the mother of Alice P. Kenney, a well-known historian and author of the various books, including The Gansevoorts of New York. Mrs. Waite’s father was Arthur Emmit Waite and mother was Laura Grace Waite and her father was a deacon in the Clifton Park Center Baptist Church. Scope: Three photograph albums, cal 1905-1936. The albums are typical photo albums of that era with photos mounted on black craft paper bound with cardboard covers and tied with string. The photos usually have notes identifying the people, places and/or time of the photo. There are several notes in the albums for photos that are not present. There are several families represented in these photos, including Waite, Thierolf, McKain and others. Size: 1 box, 1 lin. ft. Donor: Len S. Kilian, Box 175, Rotterdam Junction, NY 12150, 2006 Contents: Photograph Album #1: Photos of: Arthur Waite family, including many photos of Marjorie Waite and Douglas Waite as infants and young children, and homes, Thierolf family, Methodist church, store, school and McKain’s hotel at Rexford, canal scenes at Rexford, Jonesville Methodist Church and others, ca. 1905-1920. Photograph Album #2: Photos: Ice on trees and fences along River Road, panoramic views of flood in Schenectady in 1903, Thierolf Sand Farm on Clifton Park Center road, family reunion at Waite farm, 1927, Thierolf, Knowlton and Van Hyning family photos, especially of children, Knowlton houses and family in Florida, family photos in Chicago and Hotze family photos in St. Louis, A. Lincoln’s home in Springfield, IL, ca. 1912-1953, 1963. Photograph Album #3: Photos: Group photos and views at Saratoga Lake, Lake George, college photos at Albany State Teachers College, Decker family photos, photos of Marjorie Waite as a student at Albany State, photos of Ralph P. Kenney at Princeton and Yale (Ph.D), photo of Elizabeth Peck, 1934,Marjorie Waite/Ralph Kenney wedding photos, 1936; ca. 1927-1936.

James Corsaro Archivist